Bird flu: Isle of Man surveillance zone closed

The Isle of Man is no longer classed as an infected area for avian flu, the government's chief vet has confirmed.

An all-island surveillance zone has closed after no further cases were found in kept birds.

It was put in place in mid-January after 11 kept geese found dead in Sulby were found to have had the H5N1 strain.

However, chief vet Amy Beckett warned there was "still a significant risk to kept birds this winter" from the highly-contagious virus.

"We urge people to house them were possible and continue to practise good biosecurity," she said.

The lifting of the all-island surveillance zone follows the easing of a 1km (0.6 miles) radius protection zone in Sulby a week ago.

Although there have been two further cases of the virus confirmed in wild birds found dead at Tholt-y-Will and St John's, additional measures were not put in place in those areas as they were not kept birds.

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