A bird flu outbreak on a duck breeding farm in East Yorkshire over the weekend has had many people fearing for their health and safety.
However health officials have confirmed that there is minimal risk to humans and has identified it as H5N8, the same type seen in recent outbreaks in Europe. They have been keen to stress that the strain found at the Yorkshire farm is not the H5N1 form which is deadly to humans.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the risk to public health remained very low. The strain is very dangerous for bird life and could potentially affect humans, although only through very close contact with the affected birds.
To tackle the problem around 6,000 ducks will be destroyed at the farm in Nafferton, near Driffield.
Tom Swain from Welcome To Yorkshire believes there are not any risks that people need to be aware of when travelling in and out of Yorkshire and there are no signs that the outbreak is getting any worse. He also clarified that “This is not having, and we anticipate it will not have, any impact on visitor numbers.”
A spokeswoman for Defra also reassured people by saying “We have confirmed a case of avian flu on a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire – the public health risk is very low and there is no risk to the food chain.
“We are taking immediate and robust action which includes introducing a restriction zone and culling all poultry on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection.”
