Defra has published a final epidemiology report into the Avian Influenza outbreak confirmed in Oxfordshire on 4 June.

The report concludes that at the time of writing (2 July) infection was confined to a single premise, and there is no evidence of infection on any contact or geographically close premises, or evidence of spread of infection to any other premises to date

While it has not been possible to conclusively identify the source of the infection, the two most likely sources of the outbreak are thought to be:

• Unidentified Avian Influenza in domestic premises in Great Britain, associated either by proximity or potential contact, or
• Avian Influenza in wildlife in contact with the IP Investigations are now complete.

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, said
 
''This incident has demonstrated again the potential for avian influenza to be introduced into domestic poultry in the UK. The risk of further incidents, while low, remains.  I urge poultry keepers to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity and to report suspicion of disease promptly including where records indicate increased mortality or reduced performance.''

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