Bird flu prevention zone declared across England as farmers called upon to stop disease spreading
A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across England as all farmers are told to cover ponds in netting to prevent infected birds landing.
The move, announced by the Government's chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens, means all poultry and bird keepers in England have to follow strict measures to protect their livestock from the disease.
It comes as 13 dead wild birds were confirmed to have the virus in Warwickshire, following the discovery of the disease in wild birds in Dorset, where a total of 31 infected birds have now been identified.
A local prevention zone was put in place in Dorset, which has now been extended to the whole of England.
Testing of the birds in Warwickshire is ongoing but it is thought they had the H5N6 strain of the virus which has been circulating in wild populations in Europe in recent months, and which is deadly to birds.
But officials said it was a different variant of H5N6 from the one which affected people in China last year, and the risk to public health was very low.
The Food Standards Agency said bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.
The prevention zone means keepers must ensure areas where birds are kept do not attract wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and feed and water their livestock in enclosed areas to discourage contact with wild birds.