Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Bird flu in Scotland: Protection zone around Angus after outbreak

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established

Ryan McDougall
Saturday 11 January 2025 07:29 EST
Chickens feed on a farm
Chickens feed on a farm (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed in Scotland

The confirmation from Angus has prompted swift action from authorities to contain the spread.

Scotlandā€™s Chief Veterinary Officer, Sheila Voas, announced the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 on Friday night.

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established around Over Ascreavie House, Kingoldrum, where the outbreak occurred.

The premises, according to the declaration published on the Scottish Governmentā€™s website, is Over Ascreavie House, Kingoldrum, Kirriemuir.

The restrictions put in place stop the movement of poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure to prevent any further spread of disease.

A diagram of the restricted and surveillance areas, taken from the Scottish Governmentā€™s website. (Scottish Government/PA)
A diagram of the restricted and surveillance areas, taken from the Scottish Governmentā€™s website. (Scottish Government/PA)

A declaration published on the Scottish Governmentā€™s website, signed by Ms Voas, said the announcement was made official at 8.15pm.

It adds: ā€œThe Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland) has formed the opinion that highly pathogenic avian influenza exists, or has in the previous 56 days existed, on premises and has informed the Scottish Ministers of that conclusion.ā€

It marks the first case of the avian illness in the country since the summer of 2023, when Ms Voas said ā€œalmost allā€ of the 32,000 infected chickens found on one Aberdeenshire farm had to be culled in July.

The restrictions put in place stop the movement of poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure (Alamy/PA)
The restrictions put in place stop the movement of poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure (Alamy/PA)

Aberdeen City Council said it had collected around 100 dead birds from the cityā€™s beach in a two-week period over the same timeframe, and Aberdeenshire Council reported that upwards of 300 dead birds were found on its beaches concurrently.

The Scottish Government noted the risk to the public is ā€œvery lowā€, even for those who face prolonged exposure to infected birds.

This undated electron microscopic image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows two Influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus
This undated electron microscopic image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows two Influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus

A spokesperson said: ā€œWe can confirm a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been detected at a premises near Kirriemuir, Angus. This is the first case in Scotland since 2023.

ā€œA 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been placed around the infected premises, meaning the application of movement restrictions within these zones, such as poultry, carcases, eggs, used poultry litter and manure, to prevent any further spread of disease.

ā€œKeepers of poultry and other captive birds in Scotland are advised to remain vigilant for signs of the disease and reminded they have a legal requirement to immediately report any suspicion of disease in Scotland to the local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Field Services Office.

ā€œThe risk to the general publicā€™s health from avian influenza is still very low and is considered low for people with intensive exposure to infected birds. Food Standards Scotland advises that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for consumers.ā€

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in