Thousands of birds will be culled after avian flu was confirmed at a farm in Cheshire, writes Aine Fox of the Press Association.

The outbreak was confirmed at a commercial broiler breeder rearing farm near Frodsham on Monday, November 2.

All 13,500 birds at the farm will be humanely culled to limit the spread of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza, the Government said.

In addition it said a 3km (1.8 miles) protection zone and a 10km (6.2 miles) surveillance zone have been put in place around the infected site to limit the risk of it spreading.

The news comes after an unrelated outbreak at a farm near the town of Deal in Kent, also on Monday.

In that case it was confirmed 480 ducks and chickens on the site would be killed to limit the spread of the disease.

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The risk to public health from the virus is very low according to Public Health England, with Dr Gavin Dabrera, consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE saying there have never been any confirmed cases of H5N8 in humans.

The Food Standards Agency advises that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.

The Government said properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Referring to the Cheshire outbreak, chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: “Immediate steps have been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading and all remaining poultry at the farm will be culled.

“Birdkeepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.

“We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease-spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.”

Wild birds migrating from mainland Europe during the winter period can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds, the Government said, as it announced a “detailed investigation” to determine the most likely source of the outbreak.