Avian Influenza. Now in a protection Zone (East Sussex)

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Received a letter from the UK Chief Vet (Christine Middlemiss) this AM. I am within 10km of an outbreak (actually very much closer, I know where it was detected.) At least three months of protection regulation to follow. That's really going to screw a nearby shoot, not that is wasn't bad enough already for them.

Don't keep birds though plenty of my neighbours do, mostly ornamental and for eggs. Which I like to buy from them.

Will be keeping an eye out for and reporting dead wild birds, actually I'd already been wondering about why the dawn chorus has become rather quiet over the last month or so. Thought I was going even deafer.

Anyway, just a heads up, it's not all over yet. Hope it does not affect you.
 
It's even today a bit out of date. I was a bit shocked to receive the letter, didn't even know I was on their radar. It has clearly spread, and now am in a 10km protection zone. Not a 3km one. St. Leonards on Sea., one the west edge, semi rural. I can literally walk out of my door and be into the woods, fields nature reserves and areas of outstanding natural beauty within 100 metres. That's quite serious.

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Not to sound rude, but this has been going on for an age, all over the country, it’s not until it affects you that it becomes apparent just how serious it is.
 
Free range rob said:
Not to sound rude, but this has been going on for an age, all over the country, it’s not until it affects you that it becomes apparent just how serious it is.
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Certainly so, but we were supposed to be pretty much past it by now. But not so.

This is what's going on in my area, as any simple search of the .gov.uk website will reveal. This was nearly a month ago, and as I say it seems to have got worse, not exactly contained as yet. I've had the letter, as have a few others who I know after a bit of ringing around, with connections to APHA. And It seems they've pretty much mailshot everyone in the district too which seems to be causing a bit of consternation amongst those who don't understand the more simply worded leaflet that they have received. I've got a three page letter, plus a "Surveillance Zone , Registration of Susceptible Stock" form to fill in. Which is easy for me, I have none. Nor do I need to fill in an IRA82 or 81. But I'm probably going to have to help out someone who does, to keep her straight, though she is desperately worried about doing so, fearing what then might be the consequences To her. Off the radar. So far. Well that's one perspective I suppose, but not exactly mine. So I bite my tongue when that crops up. Her eggs are quite delicious though and the birds well kept.

My concern is for the wild birds. Sad to say my locals with their domestic chickens and other birds have mostly been culled already. Let's hope that might put a lid on it.

It's just not something we like to talk about, but that doesn't not make it real, nor just a scare.

Premises near Bexhill-on-Sea, Rother, East Sussex
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed on 15 June 2022 in non-commercial poultry at a premises near Bexhill-on-Sea, Rother, East Sussex. A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone were put in place around the premises. All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled.

Details of the measures that apply in these zones can be found in the declaration.

Declaration of a Protection Zone and a Surveillance Zone (H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) – near Bexhill-on-Sea, Rother, East Sussex
 
Bad up here in the North East, Farne Islands are closed to landings and i fear it may scupper the fowling at Lindisfarne too
 
We’ve been finding a lot of dead gannets and gulls around montrose up in Scotland, a lot around Lunan as well.
 
Northumberland coast found last night walking the dog1 Gannent.1Cormorant and a Razorbill,volunteers are lifting the carcasses of the beaches.big tides this week may be bringing more ashore,had all been dead a while though,so may be getting through it.
 
williamwansbeck said:
Northumberland coast found last night walking the dog1 Gannent.1Cormorant and a Razorbill,volunteers are lifting the carcasses of the beaches.big tides this week may be bringing more ashore,had all been dead a while though,so may be getting through it.
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I don't think, realistically, there's much to be done for the wild population (my worry) except to hope it will burn itself out. But that doesn't seem to be happening, never mind when the big migrations arrive in the Autumn. Then, even worse, take it back home in the Spring.

For every wild bird that is discovered, reported, and tested, there will surely be so many more not.

The key thing is to hope that our intensively reared and crowded together poultry, gamebirds etc. can be kept free from it by proper biosecurity so not become a reservoir. If that means culling some, keeping them indoors again away from mingling with wild birds and any other vectors, etc. so be it, at the moment. If a flock catches it, they'll soon enough be sick and dying anyway.

Last month's official report, grim reading.

https://assets.publishing.service.g...data/file/1081982/HPAI_Europe_6_June_2022.pdf
 
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