North Yorkshire under bird flu restrictions as farmers in Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire ordered to keep poultry indoors

The Government has announced an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) to cover Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire after bird flu was discovered at a commercial poultry site near Thirsk.

The AIPZ came into force on Sunday night with bird keepers in the area told to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures.

The rules apply to individuals who keeps a small number of poultry as pets to farms which house thousands of animals, with the Chief Veterinary Officer stressing it was in keepers’ interests to protect their birds.

There is believed to be very little risk to members of the public from bird flu.

The new restrictions for parts of North Yorkshire follow a nationwide AIPZ introduced earlier this month which means keepers with more than 500 birds need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading.