AN outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in Oxfordshire last night with vets ordered to slaughter 25,000 chickens.

The outbreak - the first in the county - was discovered at Eastwood Farm between Shenington and Shutford, about ten miles west of Banbury.

The farmer contacted the Department for Food and Rural Affairs on Monday night after noticing his birds were showing "suspicious symptoms".

Nigel Gibbens, the Government's chief veterinary officer, last night confirmed the chickens had tested positive for the H7 strain of Avian Influenza - one of two strains which can be highly contagious.

A control zone has been put in place.

A neighbouring farmer, who did not wish to be named, said: "I am just terribly sad for the farmer. Luckily I don't have poultry here but I feel very sad - they are good people who work hard."

Another farmer added: "I am surprised, because there haven't been cases of bird flu for a while.

"These things are generally spread by wild birds, I presume that is what has happened here."

Police cordoned off part of Epwell Road, while Defra officials set up a temporary control area in which all birds must be housed or isolated from the outside.

Last night the department was urgently considering whether any wider measures were needed.

Mr Gibbens said: "I would stress the need for poultry keepers to be extremely vigilant, practice the highest levels of biosecurity and report any suspicions of disease to their local animal health office immediately."

Oxfordshire County Council's chief emergency planning officer John Kelly said the issue was being dealt with by the county's trading standards department.

He said he was told by police about a possible outbreak on Monday night and said footpaths would close if necessary.

Mr Kelly said the outbreak was confirmed at a specialist chicken production facility.

He said: "Trading standards and Defra are now dealing with it. It is not an emergency planning matter.

"They will be dealing with their colleagues across the border in Warwickshire.

"I would certainly say to people they should not worry."

Linda Ayres, owner of Hangland Farm Ostriches in Upper Wardington, said: "My birds are out to grass right now. We will certainly have to look at getting them in.

"Before there has certainly been nothing close enough to us to worry us. If it is in the Banbury area it will be the first time we have had it to worry about."

Dr Judith Hilton, head of microbiological safety for the Food Standards Agency, said: "This case of bird flu on a premises in Banbury poses no safety implications for the human food chain.

"Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

"The science shows that the virus isn't contracted by eating food - but usually by close contact with infected birds."

Defra said the local Health Protection Unit was contacting those who may have had contact with the infected poultry to provide guidance, advice and preventative medication if appropriate.

All poultry keepers on the national Poultry Register were being notified and the EU Commission has been informed.

  • The Health Protection Agency advised it was important to remember that H7 avian flu remained largely a disease of birds.

It said the virus did not transmit easily to humans and almost all human H7 infections so far had been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry.

Officials said the risk to human health posed by H7 bird flu viruses remained low.

It said the H7 virus was destroyed by cooking thoroughly and added all types of bird flu (H1 to H16) could be slightly contagious, but only H5 and H7 were known to have the potential to become highly contagious.