Bird flu is spreading fast through wild birds in Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly.
More than 50 dead seabirds have already been washed up on the shores on the islands but the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust says this is "the tip of the iceberg".
Many more carcasses of dead birds are being reported at sea the week that Defra lifted biosecurity regulations and downgraded the risk of the disease to 'low'.
On the mainland, highly pathogenic (HPAI) avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed in two dead gannets on Portheras in West Cornwall earlier this week.
On Sunday the disease was confirmed in dead seabirds in Bude.
On Saturday all the birds at Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital had to be culled after samples confirmed a bird flu infection.
This comes the same week that Defra reduced the official risk level for bird flu to low while also lifting the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) regulations for poultry and captive birds introduced last November to help stop the spread of bird flu.
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A spokesperson for Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust said: In the middle of summer, we got our first phone call reporting a dead gannet out at sea.
"We couldn’t imagine that a few weeks later, our team would be dressed in full protective gear, removing the carcasses of nearly fifty dead seabirds washed up on our shores.
"And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are lots more reports out at sea, where the bodies are beyond our reach."
The trust is urging people to stay away from any dead or dying birds and to keep dogs well away.
Dead and sick birds should be reported via the Defra hotline 03459 335577.
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