Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Bird flu (avian influenza)

On 4 June, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed avian influenza in chickens on a premises near Banbury after preliminary tests were positive for the H7 strain. Active surveillance in the area has shown no evidence of disease spread and infection appears to be confined to the one infected premises.

The Surveillance Zone and remaining disease control area restrictions put in place following this outbreak were lifted on Tuesday 8 July. The Protection Zone was lifted on Sunday 29 June. 

For information about the latest situation see this page of the DEFRA website.

What is bird flu?

Avian influenza is a disease of birds. While it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds.

It is important to be clear about the differences between avian flu, seasonal flu, and pandemic flu. Seasonal flu refers to the illness which occurs each winter due to human influenza viruses which are circulating in the population. Pandemic flu occurs infrequently when a new influenza virus emerges which is markedly different from those recently circulating in the human population; causes disease in people; and spreads easily between people because they have little or no immunity to it. This could happen through an avian flu virus mutating into a different strain with greater affinity for people.

Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs? 

Advice from the Food Standards Agency is that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat. The virus isn't contracted by eating food - but by close contact with infected birds.

People should follow normal food hygiene advice in relation to handling raw poultry meat in the kitchen. People should ensure that turkey meat is cooked to the point where the juices run clear and there are no red parts in the meat.

For more information

For more detailed information about avian flu, including details about the latest situation and also a series of questions and answers, please see the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.

Members of the public wishing to report deaths of wild birds should contact the DEFRA helpline 08459 335577.

Poultry keepers can also call Animal Health recorded information line 0844 884 4600 for the latest updates.