The strain of bird flu which was reported on a duck breeding farm in the village of Nafferton, East Yorkshire has been identified as belonging to the H5 strain, but is not the deadly H5N1. On Monday, Defra said tests were still being conducted to establish the exact strain.

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A strain of the H5N1 virus is spreading in parts of the world, having originated in Asia. Between 2003 and 2013 there were 630 confirmed human cases of the H5N1 virus, resulting in the deaths of 375 people, according to the World Health Organisation.

Since the case of bird flu in Yorkshire was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, a 10km restriction zone has been established around the farm, banning all movements of poultry. Culling all 6,000 birds on the infected farm began on Tuesday morning.

The EU Commission has said that the authorities in Britain and the Netherlands, where a case of bird flu was detected earlier last week, have been working in-line with EU measures to contain outbreaks. The Commission said on Monday that available information suggests that "The H5 virus in the UK is probably identical to the H5N8 HPAI virus found in The Netherlands and in Germany."

Commission advisors have also posited a possible cause for the recent outbreaks in northern Europe. In a statement, the Commission suggested "The fact that the three recent outbreaks in Germany, The Netherlands and the UK have occurred in proximity of humid areas with wild birds and the absence of any other possible epidemiological link between them point towards wild migratory bird as a possible source of virus."

 "A species of wild swans might be carrying the virus without showing signs of disease. Member States concerned are evaluating their wild bird surveillance data and are enhancing monitoring."

Speaking in Parliament yesterday Defra secretary Liz Truss said the risk to the public from the outbreak was very low.

A statement from Defra's newly established Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) read, "The UK has a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu and all action will be taken to control this outbreak to prevent a further spread of the disease."

How to spot avian influenza

Defra is urging poultry and bird keepers to increase biosecurity on their premises while an investigation into the origin of the virus outbreak is ongoing. More information is available from APHA here.

There are 2 types of avian influenza.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the more serious type. It is often fatal in birds. Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) is usually less serious. It can cause mild breathing problems, but affected birds will not always show clear signs of infection.

The main clinical signs of HPAI in birds are:

• swollen head
• blue discolouration of neck and throat
• loss of appetite
• respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling
• diarrhoea
• fewer eggs laid