Bird flu: Third outbreak confirmed on Isle of Man

MANXSCENES View of St John'sMANXSCENES
The latest outbreak has been confirmed in the village of St John's in the west of the island

A further outbreak of bird flu has been recorded on the Isle of Man, the government has confirmed.

Samples taken from a wild goose, found dead in a garden in St John's on Tuesday, confirmed it died from the highly-contagious H5N1 virus.

A government spokesman has urged people not to feed wild waterfowl at the National Arboretum in the village to prevent any further spread in the area.

It follows two previous outbreaks in Sulby and Tholt-y-Will in January.

While the latest outbreak was discovered in the west of the island, both previous confirmed cases were in the north.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said an all-island surveillance zone remains in place, and bird owners should continue to "house their birds and practise good biosecurity".

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