William Maughan, the National Farming Union’s (NFU) Northern Chairman, said: “First of all, it’s the human impact – it’s awful for the people involved.
“But it also has a great impact on the stock, on the hens themselves.
“A lot of them die, and unfortunately the cull is part of the management strategy around that.
“Defra should be involved, very early on,” he added.
“If you start to spot any issues, get in touch with a vet, then the ministry – the government vets get involved, they would come along and try to identify the disease.
“Once that is confirmed, there will be a cull on the site, and full disinfection of the site, to make sure the risk of passing it on elsewhere is minimised.”
NFU’s Northumberland Poultry Board chair, Will Raw, said the local case, which was the first one of the season in England, but it was a reminder that the disease “remains ever-present”.
He urged poultry keepers to be vigilant and “maintain the highest standards of biosecurity”.
“The NFU will continue to work closely with government and the wider supply chain to monitor the situation and support British poultry producers through the challenges posed by this disease.
“This involves both immediate support for those affected, as well as longer term strategic change, such as the government’s vaccination policy.”
Follow BBC North East on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external and listen to Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds.