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People who have blackbirds in their gardens have been urged to take "immediate" action following reports that large numbers of the animals have fallen victim to a lethal virus.

The Usutu virus, a mosquito-borne disease originally from southern Africa, was first detected in the UK in 2020 and has been affecting the blackbird population in southern England, with cases reaching as far north as Cambridgeshire. ‌

The virus, which made its way into Europe 30 years ago and was responsible for many blackbird deaths there, was also linked to a 40 per cent plunge in the blackbird population in Greater London, according to Bird Guides . Usutu is said to cause minimal risk to humans. ‌

The alarming rate of death has sparked concern among conservationists, with the British Trust for

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