Nine poultry units caught up in avian flu surveillance zone

The Scottish Executive has said it has identified nine poultry premises within the 10km surveillance zone set up following the discovery of a dead swan carrying a highly pathogenic form of avian flu.

But the executive says it looks like there are no poultry units within the 3km protection zone, where movement restrictions have been imposed.

Britain’s first case of bird flu – outside of a quarantine centre – was confirmed yesterday (5 April) after tests on the body of a swan found in Cellardyke Harbour near Anstruther, Fife.

Further tests today are expected to reveal whether it died of the deadly H5N1 strain responsible for human deaths.