Bird flu confirmed at poultry farm near Woodbridge

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed at the premises at Debach, near Woodbridge, on Tuesday, November 29.

In line with standard procedures for stopping the spread of the disease, government vets have ringed the site with a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone and ordered that all birds should be humanely culled.

It brings the number of confirmed cases since October 1, 2022, to 137. Of these, 124 have been in England, nine in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and three in Wales.

Since the beginning of the outbreak in October 2021, a total of 257 cases have been confirmed.

The spread of the disease has hit East Anglia's important poultry sector hard, with Suffolk, Norfolk and part of Essex still at the epicentre of the crisis - with many more protection zones in place than in other parts of the UK.

A housing order was imposed for kept birds in the region and later for England as a whole as the situation worsened and more cases emerged.

The government announced a new package of support for the poultry industry at the end of October as the UK dealt with its worst ever bird flu outbreak.

Under the plans, the government said compensation to farmers would be speeded up so they could be paid at the outset of culling rather than afterwards. 

It also eased marketing rules for farmers breeding turkeys, geese and ducks so they could slaughter early and freeze meats.

Their produce can then be defrosted and sold to consumers between November 28 and December 31. However, many don't have the freezing capacity.