Wild bird hospital given all-clear four months after bird flu cull

Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital in Cornwall has announced that it has passed a DEFRA hygiene inspection, after several cases of bird flu in August forced the sanctuary to cull all its birds.

The charity said it had now completed the secondary cleaning and sanitisation that was legally required, adding 'We are naturally still devastated that we lost all our beautiful birds and are working hard with DEFRA to carry out comprehensive risk assessments.'

The charity now plans to refurbish its facilities and review its biosecurity, in anticipation of avian flu becoming endemic in the UK. It is asking for donations for the new facilities.

The world is going through its worst-ever outbreak of bird flu. The highly infectious H5N1 strain has killed hundreds of thousands of wild birds and millions of domestic ones. In the UK bird flu is a notifiable disease in poultry and other captive birds, meaning it is illegal not to report a case.

Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital was founded in 1928 and cares for more than 1000 sick and injured birds each year.

Read more: Bird hospital in Cornwall forced to cull after positive cases of bird flu