Poultry owners are being urged to stick to restrictions in place after an outbreak of bird flu in East Cambridgeshire.

The call was made by Trading Standards officers at Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) following the outbreak at a premises near Soham reported on October 11.

Peter Gell, assistant director of regulatory services at CCC, said: “I would encourage all poultry keepers to familiarise themselves with, and do their utmost to comply with, all restrictions now in place.”

A 3km protection zone around the premises has already been put in place by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The zone introduces housing requirements for all poultry and captive birds that fall within the zone, such as record keeping and biosecurity measures.

Bird gatherings and the release of game birds are also prohibited within the 3km zone.

CCC’s Trading Standards team is supporting DEFRA and the APHA in identifying all captive birds within the protection zone.

The team started to call at homes within the zone this week to see if birds are being kept at that location.

If so, details will be referred to the APHA for veterinary assessment to determine if a health check on the birds is needed.

“We are a rural county, blessed with a wide range of commercial bird keepers,” said Mr Gell.

“Their livelihoods and health of their flocks depend on all bird keepers – large and small - doing their bit to prevent the further spread of this disease.

“If you suspect bird flu, you should contact the DEFRA rural services helpline on 03000 200 301.”

A declaration order with a full list of requirements for those within the 3km protection zone was set up since highly pathogenic avian influenza was first confirmed.

Trading Standards officers at CCC are responsible for enforcement if any of the rules within the National Avian Influenza Prevention Zone or the declaratory order are breached.

As of October 17, the government has recorded 44 cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza since October 1.

The UK Health Security Agency has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.