Council officers have conducted visits in response to an an outbreak of avian flu which was confirmed on a large Pembrokeshire poultry farm at the start of the month.

Officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Protection Division have been engaged in visiting addresses within a three-kilometre protection zone set around a site near Milford Haven.

The measures came into place after the declaration of an influenza protection zone and wider surveillance zone surrounding the infected premises by the chief veterinary officer for Wales on Friday, September 9.

"Officers are identifying locations where poultry and/or other captive birds are kept and to provide information on restrictions that currently apply to help prevent the spread of disease," confirmed a council statement.

"The Council’s officers are working in support of veterinary colleagues from the Animal and Plant Health Agency who are managing a co-ordinated response to the incident, in collaboration with the Welsh Government, Food Standards Agency and Public Health Wales."

A map showing the extent of the zones and restrictions that apply can be seen on the Welsh Government website, here. 

Road signs are currently being erected by the local authority to help clarify where these zones begin and end, which will remain in place until the restrictions can be lifted.

READ MORE

It is vital keepers of birds remain vigilant and ensure they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place.

The council say all keepers of kept birds should be vigilant for signs of the disease such as increased mortality, respiratory distress and drops in food or water intake, or egg production.

If keepers see any of these signs they are advised to consult their veterinary surgeon in the first instance.

If it's suspected that avian influenza could be causing illness in birds, it must be reported, by law, to the Animal and Plant Health Agency Wales on 0300 303 8268. This will trigger a disease investigation by APHA vets.

Keepers must apply strict biosecurity measures to prevent any materials, equipment, vehicles, clothing, feed or bedding that could have been contaminated from wild birds coming onto premises.

Further guidance is available, here.

The UK health agencies advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the UK food standards agencies advise that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.

Members of the public who do not keep birds can help by reporting dead wild birds, calling the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

Sick or injured wild birds should not be reported to Defra. Instead contact the RSPCA (in Wales and England) on 0300 1234 999.

Dead or sick birds in public places, such as beaches, can also reported by calling 01437 764551 (or out of hours 0345 601 5522) for Pembrokeshire County Council to arrange to collect safely.