Bird flu: Dead swans at Rotherham lake confirmed as cases - BBC

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Two mute swans found dead at a lake in South Yorkshire have tested positive for avian influenza.

The bodies of the birds found at Treeton Dyke near Rotherham earlier this month were confirmed to have been carrying the virus.

Rotherham Council said it had launched an investigation into reports of other dead birds in the area.

The local authority asked walkers to take care near bodies of water and to report any dead birds.

It added: "Bird keepers are also asked to remain vigilant and to report any concerns of avian flu to the Animal and Plant Health Agency, even if the signs are mild."

Bird flu can be fatal for wild, poultry, game and captive birds. Symptoms can include a swollen head, running eyes, lethargy, breathing difficulties, fever and egg production problems.

But some species such as ducks, geese and swans can carry and spread bird flu without any signs.

The highly infectious H5N1 strain of the disease has killed hundreds of thousands of wild birds and millions of domestic ones around the world since it was first reported in 1996.

There have been 150 confirmed cases in the UK since 1 October 2022.

Hundreds of thousands of turkeys reared for Christmas have been lost to the disease in the UK this winter.