Health, Safety and Environment

Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) H7N2 Strain Outbreak in Oxfordshire

9 June 2008 (updated 10 July 2008)

Vets of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed that Chickens at Eastwood Farm, at Shenington near Banbury tested positive for the H7N2 low pathogenic strain of Avian Influenza disease, rather than the highly virulent H5N1 strain regarded as a potential threat to human health.

25,000 chickens on the Farm have already been culled to help contain and eradicate this disease and destroyed.

Restrictions Lifted

Active surveillance in the area has shown no evidence of disease spread and infection appears to be confined to the one infected premises. The temporary control zone that was set up around the infected premises was lifted on Tuesday 8 July 2008. The Protection Zone was lifted on Sunday 29 June 2008.