Cheshire East Council has been notified that avian influenza surveillance and protection zones imposed around two commercial poultry premises - have ended.

Disease control activities and surveillance, carried out with 3km protection zones and 10km surveillance zones on premises in the Crewe and Calveley areas, have been successfully completed.

All local restrictions around these premises have been lifted but the national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains in force, including the requirement to house all birds indoors.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low.

A trio of ducks at Queens Park, Crewe. (Ryan Parker)

The Food Standards Agency has also said that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers and it does not affect the consumption of poultry or eggs.

Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.

Residents are reminded to not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that they find.

If they do find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, they should report them to the Defra helpline (03459 335577).

Geese in the spring sunshine at Queens Park, Crewe (Alissa Cook-Gray).

Following suspicion of notifiable avian influenza based on the clinical picture in commercial poultry at a premises near Crewe, a case of slaughter on suspicion was confirmed on 21 January 2022. 

Following official testing, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed at this premises on 22 January 2022.

All birds on the infected premises were humanely culled.

The disease control activities and surveillance had been in place since.

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