Derbyshire County Council have issued an alert around Bakewell and Ashford-in-the-Water following a case of Bird Flu in Bakewell, confirmed at premises close to the market town.
The case of bird flu was confirmed on 17th January 2023 and a 3km captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone is in place.
This controlled zone mainly affects poultry and bird keepers and does not mean that visitors need to avoid Bakewell or Ashford-in-the-Water, but following simple guidelines can avoid inadvertently spreading the disease
The Derbyshire Dales District Council have been placing posters in the area advising visitors. Visitors to the popular peak district beauty spot are requested:
- Keep to the footpath and keep dogs on leads
- Do not feed wild waterfowl
- Do not pick up or touch dead or sick wild birds
- Do not touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings
- If you keep poultry or other birds, wash your hands and clean and disinfect footwear before tending to your own birds
- Report to DEFRA if you find 1 or more dead birds of prey (such as an owl, hawk or buzzard), 3 or more dead burds that include at least 1 gull, swan, goose or duck, or 5 or more dead birds of any species
Walkers and other visitors to the area are asked to follow these guidelines to help stop spread of avian influenza. The UK Health Security Agency advise that the prevalent H5N1 strain of bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and that the risk to the general public’s health is very low. As such there is no request to avoid visiting the area as normal, following the above advice.