A case of suspected bird flu has been found in Lancashire. State veterinarian Bret Marsh says along with setting an end date for the bird ban, the state has narrowed it to cover just poultry – not parrots, doves or pigeons.
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Officials imposed a 10 km (6 mile) control zone to limit risk of the disease spreading and all birds on the farm would be destroyed, the government said.
All 170,000 birds are due to be culled on Saturday as a precaution.
The decision to take precautionary action has been taken based on the clinical symptoms displayed by birds at the farm and emerging laboratory findings.
Mr Gibbens said: “We have taken swift precautionary action to limit the risk of disease spreading”.
Officials said the case had not yet been confirmed, and it was not known what strain of avian influenza it was, as laboratory tests were ongoing.
“We have a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu in the United Kingdom”, Defra said in a statement.
“I would urge bird keepers to be vigilant for any signs of disease, report suspect disease to their nearest APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) office and to ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises”.
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Indiana’s Board of Animal Health issued an indefinite ban on co-mingling bird flocks in May after a case of avian flu was spotted in the state amid a national outbreak that’s killed 48 million birds.
