Bird flu surveillance zone reaches Peterborough as cases confirmed in farms near Oundle

Poultry will be culled at a third farm in Oundle after cases of bird flu were confirmed.

Yesterday the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said three Poultry farms in the town had now been affected.

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been put in place by the agency as a result of the finds. The surveillance zones now spread into the Ortons in Peterborough.

A statement from the agency said “All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled.”

This week a spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said the sight of dead birds, including swans, was likely to become a common sight in the city, after a number of suspected cases were found at Ferry Meadows, and by the embankment in Peterborough.

Advice on what to do if you find dead birds

On www.gov.uk/bird-flu Defra has made the following advice available to members of the public that find wild birds:

Call Defra on 03459 33 55 77 if you find:

- one or more dead birds of prey

- 3 or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese and ducks)

- 5 or more dead birds of any species

You do not need to report any other found dead wild birds. If you report a dead wild bird, Defra and APHA may arrange to collect it and test it.

Do not touch or pick up a dead or visibly sick wild bird.

If the public find less than this, and the bird(s) are on public land, they can be reported to Peterborough City Council by calling 01733 747474.

What to do if you find dead birds in your garden

If you find small numbers of dead garden birds at your home (domestic residential property only) you can dispose of them in your household or municipal waste bin, or you can bury them.

If you dispose of a dead wild bird with your household or municipal waste, you should:

- Pick it up wearing disposable gloves or a plastic bag over your hand.

- Put the bird in a plastic bag and tie it. Take care not to contaminate the outside of the bag.

- Put the bird in a second (preferably leak proof) plastic bag, along with the gloves or plastic bag you used to pick it up and tie it. Take care not to touch the outside of the gloves with bare hands.

- Put it in your outside household or municipal waste bin.

- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

If you bury a dead wild bird you should:

- dig a hole at least 60cm deep to stop animals digging it up

- not bury it in a plastic bag (if you use a plastic bag to pick the bird up put it in your outside household or municipal waste bin)

- not bury it near any watercourses or in a place where it could contaminate local water supplies

- wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water when you’ve finished