Bird flu outbreak confirmed by DEFRA after swans found dead at Swindon lake

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed at a lake in Swindon, the government has said.

The news comes after mute swans and Canada geese were found dead Shaftesbury Lake, which is located between Shaftesbury Avenue and Eldene Drive.

Swindon Borough Council erected posters warning people about the then-suspected avian influenza outbreak – and providing advice on how to avoid the spread.

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Staff from the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) visited the site to remove the birds and carry out testing – which proved positive.

A DEFRA spokesperson said: “We are aware of a number of wild bird deaths in the Swindon area and waterfowl collected from the area have been found positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.”

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