Risk of Bird flu hitting UK upgraded Pics: Getty/Metro.co.uk
Vet authorities have upgraded the risk of bird flu hitting the UK (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

The government has raised the risk posed by bird flu to the UK from ‘low’ to ‘medium’ after two swans were infected in the Netherlands.

Britain’s chief veterinary officers said migratory birds are now more likely to carry H5N8 avian influenza into the country ahead of the winter migration season.

They urged farmers to ensure hygiene in poultry enclosures, although they added the risk of transmission in farms and people in the UK remains low.

The H5N8 strain can be extremely harmful to birds, but there have been no known cases of it infecting humans yet.

The UK has been free from bird flu since September 2017, but the EU last month urged countries to do more to monitor for potential outbreaks.

Outbreaks have been recorded among wild and domestic birds in Russia and Kazakhstan, which lie along the autumn migration routes for some wild water birds flying to Europe.

A statement from the chief veterinary officers of the four nations said: ‘Following two confirmed cases of H5N8 avian influenza in the Netherlands we have raised the risk level for incursion to the UK from migratory birds to medium ahead of the winter migration season.

‘The risk of the disease being introduced to poultry farms in the UK remains low.

‘We are monitoring the situation carefully and bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.’

As well as cleaning enclosures, they encouraged farmers to place feed and water in places protected from wild animals, clean their footwear before and after visits, and fence off any outdoor areas the livestock can access.

They also discouraged mixing ducks and geese with other poultry species.

Two cases of H5N8 were confirmed in wild swans in the central Dutch province of Utrecht, authorities said on Wednesday, although more animals could be carrying the virus in the area.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.