Avian flu warning to bird owners

Poultry and bird owners must take steps to reduce the risk of avian flu, according to the SIC.

This follows recent outbreaks in parts of England and Europe.

The Scottish government has put in place an avian influenza prevention zone across the country.

The steps bird owners can take include keeping the area where birds live clean and tidy, controlling rats and mice and regularly disinfecting hard surfaces and cleaning footwear before and after visits.

Owners should also place birds’ feed and water in fully enclosed areas protected from wild birds and remove spilled feed regularly, and where possible, avoid keeping ducks and geese with other poultry species.

Team leader for environmental health David Robertson said: “There are significant populations of wild birds such as geese and other wildfowl in Shetland and the risk of avian flu arriving here is a real one.”