Sheila Voas declared a 1.8 mile containment zone and 6.2-mile surveillance zone after a highly-contagious strain of bird-flu was reported at Over Ascreavie House, Kingoldrum, in the Kirriemuir area this week.
The restrictions will stop the movement of poultry, carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure to prevent the disease, which rarely spreads to humans, from spreading.
Restrictions are in place until they are “amended or revoked by further declaration” the Scottish Government said.
A statement from the Scottish government read: “The 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.”
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The outbreak is the first case of avian-flu in Scotland since the summer of 2023, when, Voas said, “almost all” of the 32,000 infected chickens found on one Aberdeenshire farm had to be culled in July.
Aberdeen City Council said 100 dead birds were collected from the city’s beach over a fortnight during the same timeframe, and Aberdeenshire council said it found more than 300 dead birds on its beaches simultaneously.
The Scottish government stressed that the risk to the public is “very low”, even for people who have experienced prolonged exposure to infected birds, and avian influenzas also pose a very low food safety risk.
(Image: PA/Scottish Government) A spokesperson said: “We 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.
“Keepers 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.”
Bird flu is a virus that infects birds and other animals such as foxes, seals and otters. The dominant H5N1 strain was found in Hong Kong in 1997 and included zoonotic (animal to human) transmission, infecting 18 people, six of whom died.