Animal Plant Health Agency
Contents:
- Latest situation
- All bird flu cases and disease zones
- Bird flu guidance
- Vaccines
- Latest GOV.UK news stories
- Risk levels and outbreak assessments
- Wild birds
- Bird flu webinars
- Defra policies and contingency plans
- Bird flu legislation
Latest situation
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) is in an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ). By law you must follow strict biosecurity rules to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading.
The AIPZ declarations in England and in Wales set out the strict biosecurity measures all bird keepers must follow to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading.
In the United Kingdom, there have been 183 confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 since 1 October 2022:
- 153 cases in England
- 21 cases in Scotland
- 8 cases in Wales
- 1 case in Northern Ireland
There have been 286 cases of (HPAI)H5N1 in England since the H5N1 outbreak started in October 2021.
In the United Kingdom, there has been 1 confirmed case of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7N3 since 1 October 2022. This case was confirmed in Scotland on 20 March 2023.
Check if youre in a bird flu disease zone on the map.
If youre in a bird flu disease zone you must follow the rules for that zone and check if you need a licence to move poultry, poultry by-products, eggs, material or mammals.
Update 16 May
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed on 16 May 2023 in commercial poultry at a premises near Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire (AIV 2023/29). A 3km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone have been declared around the premises.
Following successful completion of disease control activity and surveillance within the zone, the residual surveillance zone associated with a premises near Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire (AIV 2022/139) has been revoked.
Following successful completion of disease control activities and surveillance within the zones, the 10km surveillance zone around the premises near Leven, East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire (AIV 2023/24) has been revoked.
Following successful completion of disease control activities and surveillance within the zones, the 3km protection zone has ended and the 10km surveillance zone around the premises near Newton Abbot, Teignbridge, Devon (AIV 2023/22) has been revoked.
Update 12 May
Following successful completion of disease control activities and surveillance within the zone, the 3km captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone surrounding a premises near Leominster, North Herefordshire, Herefordshire (AIV2023/04) has been revoked.
Update 29 April
To support the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales, new guidance on case definitions, diagnostic testing and reporting obligations for avian influenza and influenza of avian origin have been published by Defra, Welsh Government and Scottish Government.
All bird flu cases and disease zones
Find details of all bird flu cases and disease zones in England.
Find details of bird flu cases in Scotland, cases in Wales and cases in Northern Ireland.
Bird flu guidance
Find out how to:
- spot and report bird flu in poultry and other captive birds
- report dead wild birds
- prevent bird flu and stop it spreading
- follow the rules in disease zones
- house your birds safely
- follow the rules if you keep racing pigeons, birds of prey and other captive birds
Vaccines
You cannot vaccinate poultry or most captive birds against bird flu in England.
You can only vaccinate zoo birds in England if you meet eligibility criteria and get authorisation from APHA. Only zoos or collections holding a current zoo licence can apply for vaccination.
Defra continues to invest in bird flu research and monitors the situation globally.
We work with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to monitor the development of vaccines for birds.
Latest GOV.UK news stories
Bird keepers must maintain scrupulous biosecurity standards as housing measures set to be lifted.
Consultation launched on new registration rules for all bird keepers in Great Britain.
New package of measures announced to support poultry industry with bird flu.
Risk levels and outbreak assessments
The risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is assessed as high (the event occurs very often).
The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as:
- medium (event occurs regularly) (with high uncertainty) where there are substantial biosecurity breaches and poor biosecurity
- low (event is rare but does occur) (with high uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied
Find details of the evidence that supported these decisions in the: