Guidance

Avian influenza (bird flu)

How to spot avian influenza (bird flu), what to do if you suspect it, and measures to prevent it.

Avian influenza (bird flu) mainly affects birds. It can also affect humans and other mammals.

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect any type of avian influenza in poultry or captive birds you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.

If you find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find. For further information see our advice to the public.

All bird keepers (whether you have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) must keep a close watch on them for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your birds, seek prompt advice from your vet.

You should register your poultry, even if only kept as pets, so we can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds. Poultry includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants.

You can sign up to our alerts service to keep up to date with the latest news. You can also get Defra email alerts or subscribe to Defra’s RSS feed by copying and pasting this RSS feed URL into your feed reader.

Latest situation

Update 226 MayApril 2022

MandatoryAvian influenza H5N1 was confirmed in captive birds at a premises near Fakenham, North Norfolk, Norfolk on 5 February 2022. Following successful completion of disease control activities and surveillance within the zone, the 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled zone has been revoked.

Update 25 April 2022

The UK Chief Veterinary Officers have announced that the mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds werewill be lifted atacross the UK from 00:01 on Monday 2 May 2022.

However,This thewill not apply to areas in a Protection zone, where poultry and other captive birds must continue to be housed.

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Update 22 April 2022

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed on 22 April 2022 in poultry at a Protectionpremises zone,near whereIlkeston, poultryErewash, Derbyshire. A 3km Protection Zone and other10km captiveSurveillance birdsZone musthas continuebeen toput bein housed.place around the premises.

For details of the cases and the measures that apply in the disease control zones in England, see the avian influenza: cases and disease control zones in England guidance. guidance. You can also find out about licences for movements from disease control zones in force.

‘Stop the spread’ webinars

Cases of bird flu continue to be confirmed in both poultry and other captive birds and the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will remain in force until further notice (with only the housing measures component being lifted from 0:01 on the 2 May 2022). All bird keepers must continue to implement strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease from poultry and other captive birds.

Whether you have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock find out what you can do to keep your birds free of avian influenza by watching one our avian influenza ‘stop the spread’ webinars.

Avian Influenza Prevention Zone

An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been in force across Great Britain since 3 November 2021, and in Northern Ireland since 17 November 2021.

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TheOn lifting25 ofApril 2022 the UK Chief Veterinary Officers announced that the mandatory housing measures doesfor poultry and captive birds will be lifted across the UK from 00:01 on Monday 2 May 2022.

This will not apply to areas in a Protection zone,zone, where poultry and other captive birds must continue to be housed.

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Failure to comply with the AIPZ is an offence and risks the health and welfare of your birds.

Separate AIPZ declarations are made in each UK administration. For further details in:

AIPZ in England

The AIPZ in England means that bird keepers must:

  • until 0:01 on 2 May 2022 house or net all poultry and captive birds to keep them separate from wild birds until further notice - see bird keepers urged to maintain scrupulous biosecurity standards as housing measures set to be lifted
  • cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
  • reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
  • thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
  • keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
  • minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds

To help bird keepers comply with the rules, we’ve updated the biosecurity advice .

For further details see the England declaration - in force from 00:0129 onMarch the 2 May 2022 until further notice:

Declaration of Avian Influenza Prevention Zone including housing measures (England) declaration

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This declaration revokes and replaces the following declarations:

Avian Influenza Prevention Zone including housing measures (England) declaration (PDF, 246 KB, 9 pages)

Avian Influenza Prevention Zone including housing measures (England) declaration (PDF, 48.8 KB, 10 pages)

Avian Influenza Prevention Zone England declaration (PDF, 184 KB, 7 pages)

AIPZ with additional housing measures (North Yorkshire) declaration (PDF, 968 KB, 6 pages)

The AIPZ requirements will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza. Any decisions on when to lift or amend the AIPZs will be based on risk assessments based on the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.

Enforcement

Avian influenza controls, including the AIPZ and housing measures are enforced by the Local Authority Animal Health Function (LAAHF), which is normally situated with the Trading Standards or Environmental Health Service of a local authority.

You should contact your local authority to find out how to raise reports of non-compliance. If you need help with this you can ask your local council.

Risk level

The risk of incursion of highly pathogenic (HPAI) avian influenza H5 in wild birds in Great Britain has reduced from very high to high. With the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain has reduced from medium (with low uncertainty) to low (with high uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied and has reduced from high (with low uncertainty) to medium (with high uncertainty) where biosecurity is suboptimal.

While this reduction in risk levels has triggered the announcement of the lifting of the housing measures component of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) from 0:01 on 2 May 2022, all other components of the AIPZ will remain in force until further note. Hence all bird keepers must continue to maintain high standards of biosecurity for the health of their birds, and that good biosecurity is an essential defence against diseases such as avian influenza and is key to limiting the spread of avian influenza in an outbreak.

Further details on the evidence which supported these decisions can be found in our risk assessments.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.

The Food Standards Agency has said that on the basis of the current scientific evidence, avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Avian influenza is unconnected with coronavirus (COVID-19).

See the advice for the public for further information.

Cases in the UK

Cases in England

There are currently 96 cases of avian influenza H5N1 in England.

There were also 2 cases of avian influenza in Wales where a small area of the disease control zones extended into England. In addition there were 2 cases of avian influenza in Scotland where a small area of the surveillance zone surrounding each case extended into England.

Check if you are in a disease control zone on our interactive map.

For details of these cases and the measures that apply in the disease control zones, see the avian influenza: cases and disease control zones in England guidance. You can also find out about licences for movements from disease control zones in force.

Cases in Scotland

The following cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx have been confirmed at premises in Scotland:

  • in the Angus constituency
  • near Gretna, Dumfriesshire, Dumfries and Galloway
  • near Annan, Dumfriesshire, Dumfries and Galloway
  • near Moffat, Dumfriesshire, Dumfries and Galloway
  • near Gretna, Dumfriesshire, Dumfries and Galloway
  • near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire
  • near Collieston, Aberdeenshire
  • near Beith, North Ayrshire
  • near Strichen, Aberdeenshire

See the Scottish Government website for further information.

Cases in Wales

The following cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 have been confirmed at premises in Wales:

  • near Chirk, Wrexham
  • near Gaerwen, Isle of Anglesey
  • near Crickhowell, Powys
  • near Newtown, Montgomeryshire, Powys
  • near Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Powys

See the Welsh Government website for further information.

Cases in Northern Ireland

The following cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 have been confirmed at premises in Northern Ireland:

  • in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone
  • in Broughshane, County Antrim
  • in Armagh, County Armagh
  • in Coagh, County Tyrone
  • in Ballinderry, County Londonderry
  • in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh – temporary control zones in place pending further testing

See the DAERA-NI website for further information.

Wild birds in the UK

Wild bird surveillance in Great Britain

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports and warden patrols.

There have been multiple findings of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds from sites across GB. In addition, detailed retrospective analysis of samples from a mute swan that died in Wiltshire in November 2021 has confirmed a single finding of HPAI H5N8 in a wild bird. This finding had previously been identified as H5Nx (that is, the neuraminidase was undermined). This is the only case to date in the UK in the 2021 to 2022 season and the detection is not unexpected or epidemiologically significant. It is consistent with extremely low-level detection in Europe during the same period while also being consistent with H5N8 viruses reported in the UK during the 2020 to 2021 season.

For further details see the report (updated weekly) of findings of HPAI in wild birds in Great Britain and our outbreak assessments.

If you find dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, you should report them to the Defra helpline (03459 335577).

We then collect some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird, not all birds will be collected.

Wild birds are susceptible to a range of diseases and injuries and not all dead birds will have been infected with avian influenza.

Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find. For further information see our advice for the public.

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out routine surveillance of disease risks in the UK and around the world to help us anticipate future threats to animal health and continue to closely monitor the global situation of avian influenza as part of this work. Further details of the latest avian influenza findings in wild birds in Europe can be found in our outbreak assessments.

Wild bird surveillance in Northern Ireland

See the DAERA-NI website for further information on surveillance for avian influenza in wild birds in Northern Ireland.

Biosecurity advice

High standards of biosecurity should be maintained as good practice for the health of your birds. Good biosecurity is an essential defence against diseases such as avian influenza and is key to limiting the spread of avian influenza in an outbreak.

Whether an outbreak of avian influenza occurs in pet birds, a backyard flock, captive birds of prey, pigeons or a commercial flock the same disease control measures apply and the same impacts on bird keepers and trade in poultry occurs.

Read the biosecurity guidance which includes details of biosecurity best practice and further guidance on measures that bird keepers must take in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. Complete the biosecurity self-assessment checklist and retain for inspection if requested by representatives from APHA or Local Authorities.

Biosecurity self-assessment checklist

This file is in an OpenDocument format

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