Scare as bird flu detected in 10,000 pheasants at farm in Preston, England

Bird flu has been discovered in a "flock" of about 10,000 pheasants at a farm in Lancashire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.

The H5N8 strain of the disease was confirmed by the UK's chief veterinary officer.

An unconfirmed number of breeding pheasants at the site in Preston have already died, and the rest are going to be culled.

Public Health England has stressed that the risk to public health from the outbreak is "very low".

However, a 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone and a 6.2 mile (10km) surveillance zone has been enforced around the infected area to try to prevent the disease spreading.

The Food Standards Agency added the case does not pose a food safety risk for British consumers.

A full investigation has begun to determine the source of the infection.

On 16 January, Defra confirmed a case of avian flu in a flock of approximately 6,000 turkeys at a farm in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

And at the start of the month, the strain was also detected in two small backyard flocks of chickens and ducks at a property near Settle in North Yorkshire, and Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales.

An avian influenza prevention zone remains in place until 28 February, which requires owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors - or take measures to keep them separated from wild birds.

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