APHA UK Animal Health and Plant Agency : Avian influenza (bird flu)

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

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect any type of bird flu you must report it immediately by calling the Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Failure to do so is an offence.

If you keep poultry, you should 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 poultry, seek prompt advice from your vet.

You should register your poultry so we can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.

Latest situation

From 12 January 2018, a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone applies to everyone who keeps poultry or captive birds in specific, targeted areas of South Dorset. All keepers in this Prevention Zone must follow our detailed requirements on strict biosecurity, whether they have commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock.

Use our interactive map - this will be updated shortly - to check if you are within the new Prevention Zone.

We have taken these measures because bird flu has now been found in wild birds in this area in the UK. Bird flu is also present in Europe, and wild bird migration brings birds to the UK from areas where we know the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu is present. We keep our disease control measures under review based on the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice.

Outside this area, in the rest of England, keepers aren't legally required to apply extra biosecurity, but we encourage them to continue to follow our best practice biosecurity advice.

Anyone who finds dead wild birds should report them to the helpline on 03459 33 55 77.

Find our latest news in avian influenza (bird flu) in winter 2017 to 2018

Sign up to our Alerts Service to keep up to date with the latest news.

We currently regard the risk of bird flu occurring in poultry in the UK as low (provided there's a good standard of biosecurity). We publish a summary of the risks in our veterinary outbreak assessments.

Prevention Zone

This information tells you what you must do if you keep birds in the Prevention Zone area that applies across certain areas of South Dorset, following a heightened risk in these areas. The districts covered by the zone are in the Weymouth and Portland areas.

Use our interactive map - this will be updated shortly - to check if you are within the new Prevention Zone.

The legal requirements are set out in full (with an overview map) in our Avian Influenza Prevention Zone declaration (12 January 2018) ( , 1.82MB, 5 pages) .

Anyone who keeps poultry within this new Prevention Zone is required by law to follow specific disease prevention measures to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds. The requirements apply to all keepers of birds, regardless of flock size or if your birds are pets.

Keepers within the Prevention Zone can allow birds outdoors into fenced areas provided the areas meet certain conditions including:

• you have made the areas unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources
• you have taken action to reduce any existing contamination, such as cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas, and fencing off wet or boggy areas
• you have assessed the risk of birds coming into contact with wild birds or contamination from them

If you keep more than 500 birds, you must take some extra biosecurity measures. They include identifying clearly defined areas where access by non-essential people and vehicles is restricted, and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles, equipment and footwear.

Outside the Prevention Zone, all poultry in England continue to be allowed outside, but we continue to encourage keepers to follow our biosecurity advice below.

Poultry keepers must continue to follow the existing animal welfare rules.

Biosecurity advice

If you keep poultry or other captive birds, you must take action to reduce the risk of disease in your flock by following government advice on biosecurity.

Good biosecurity improves the overall health and productivity of your flock by helping keep out poultry diseases such as avian influenza and limiting the spread of disease in an outbreak.

This applies just as much if you only have a few birds as pets, or if you have a large commercial flock. An outbreak of bird flu in back garden chickens results in the same restrictions on movement of birds. It has the same impact on farmers and trade in poultry as an outbreak on a commercial farm.

To ensure good biosecurity, all poultry keepers should:

• minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures
• clean footwear before and after visiting birds, using a approved disinfectant at entrances and exits
• clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment that have come into contact with poultry
• keep areas where birds live clean and tidy, and regularly disinfect hard surfaces such as paths and walkways
• humanely control rats and mice
• place birds' food and water in fully enclosed areas protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly
• keep birds separate from wildlife and wild waterfowl by putting suitable fencing around outdoor areas they access
• keep a close watch on birds for any signs of disease and report any very sick birds or unexplained deaths to your vet

Register your birds

We encourage all keepers to register their birds with us so we can contact you quickly if there is a disease outbreak in your area and you need to take action.

If you have more than 50 birds, you are legally required to register your flock within one month of their arrival at your premises.

Find out how to register your birds.

Report signs of disease

You must keep a close watch on your birds for any signs of disease, and must seek prompt advice from your vet if you have any concerns. If you suspect any type of avian influenza you must report it immediately by calling the Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. Failure to do so is an offence.

Backyard flocks

Simple advice for people keeping just a few birds is available in this poster. If you keep poultry, print this and keep it handy, or put a copy on your noticeboard:

This was put together by and the Scottish and Welsh governments, with support from the National Farmers Union, the British Hen Welfare Trust, the RSPCA and the Poultry Club of Great Britain.

Commercial keepers

If you are a commercial keeper, you should read our detailed information about the biosecurity precautions we recommend you take:

Pigeons or birds of prey

You can exercise, train and race pigeons or fly birds of prey, but you should try to prevent them from making direct contact with wildfowl. Keep a close watch on the health of your birds.

Game birds and shoots

If you're involved with gamebirds you should read the advice published on the Game Farmers Association website (PDF). You need to maintain good biosecurity at your premises. This advice has been put together by seven leading countryside and shooting organisations (, , , , , and ) and endorsed by , the Scottish and Welsh Governments and DAERA in Northern Ireland.

Once game birds have been released they are classified as wild birds. The person who released the game birds is no longer classed as the 'keeper' of the birds.

You can continue to feed and water released game birds but you should make reasonable efforts to minimise the chance of other wild birds accessing their feed and water, for example by placing it under cover. You should use commercial feed and fresh or treated water.

About avian influenza

How to spot avian influenza

There are 2 types of avian influenza.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza () is the more serious type. It is often fatal in birds. The main clinical signs of in birds are:

• swollen head
• blue discolouration of neck and throat
• loss of appetite
• respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling
• diarrhoea
• fewer eggs laid
• increased mortality

Clinical signs can vary between species of bird and some species (for example ducks and geese) may show minimal clinical signs.

Low pathogenic avian influenza () is usually less serious. It can cause mild breathing problems, but affected birds will not always show clear signs of infection.

The severity of depends on the type of bird and whether it has any other illnesses.

Anyone who keeps poultry must keep a close watch on them for any signs of disease, and must seek prompt advice from their vet if they have any concerns.

How avian influenza is spread

The disease spreads from bird to bird by direct contact or through contaminated body fluids and faeces. It can also be spread by contaminated feed and water or by dirty vehicles, clothing and footwear.

The avian influenza virus changes frequently, creating new strains, and there is a constant risk that one of the new strains may spread easily among people. But there is no evidence that any recent strain of avian influenza has been able to spread directly between people.

Avian influenza isn't an airborne disease.

Advice for the public

Public health

Public Health England advise the risk to public health from the H5N8 strain of bird flu is very low.

Some strains of avian influenza can pass to humans, but this is very rare. It usually requires very close contact between the human and infected birds. There have never been any recorded cases of H5N8 in humans.

The Food Standards Agency has said the disease poses no food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

If you employ people who work with poultry or work with poultry yourself, you can also read Health and Safety Executive advice on protecting workers from avian influenza.

Wild birds

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 helpline (03459 33 55 77).

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.

We publish a report (updated regularly) on findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) H5N8 in wild birds in Great Britain.

Movement controls and licences

Where bird flu is confirmed, we put in place restrictions on movements of birds in the area around the infected premises - for highly pathogenic avian influenza they are called Protection Zones and Surveillance Zones.

There are no movement restrictions in place at the moment. Details of older cases are summarised further down this page.

Meat from poultry within a Protection Zone in England

Food business operators have to follow some specific rules for any meat produced from poultry or farmed game birds originating in a Protection Zone. Meat from poultry originating outside the Protection Zone is unaffected. These rules remain in force for any recent Protection Zones. Details are now available on the National Archives website.

Bird fairs, markets, shows and other gatherings

Bird gatherings can take place across England, subject to identity and health checks and biosecurity measures. Our guidance explains how to follow the general licence conditions for a bird gathering. If you want to hold a market, fair, show, exhibition or other gathering of birds, you should notify your local office at least 7 days in advance of the event.

In the case of an outbreak of avian flu, all markets, fairs, shows, exhibitions or other gatherings of birds (regardless of species) are banned within Protection and Surveillance Zones declared within England.

There may be different arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The collection of wild game birds is not affected by these measures.

Compensation

You may be entitled to compensation if healthy poultry are killed under orders from government or in the event of a disease outbreak. Owners are not entitled to compensation solely as a result of the requirements of a Prevention Zone or for other consequential losses.

Trade, import and export issues

We summarise any current issues for UK poultry and poultry product exports on our topical issues page. We also have a collection of guidance and forms for importing and exporting live animals or animal products.

Exports and EU trade

As soon as disease is confirmed, we put in place measures in accordance with Council Directive 2005/94/EC. For highly pathogenic avian influenza, a Protection Zone of 3 km and Surveillance Zone of 10 km are declared around all infected premises containing poultry. No trade is allowed from the affected premises as soon as they are put under restriction. We trace all recent movements from the infected premises.

On 13 September 2017 the Government Chief Vet announced that the UK has met international requirements to declare itself free from avian influenza.

Imports from the EU

You can't import poultry and poultry products into the UK from within disease control zones imposed around confirmed cases of avian flu within other EU countries.

EU trade relies on strict certification for movement of live poultry, day old chicks and hatching eggs. Products such as poultry meat, table eggs and poultry products are not subject to certification within the EU.

Older cases of avian flu

A number of cases of avian influenza were confirmed between December 2016 and June 2017. The H5N8 strain of avian influenza was confirmed at farms in Suffolk, Lancashire and Lincolnshire, and in backyard flocks in Lancashire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Carmarthenshire. Full details of these cases are now available on the National Archives website. The same strain of the virus was also found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales.

We have published two reports setting out our investigations into these cases, covering December 2016 to March 2017, and April to May 2017 - these are known as epidemiological reports.

A case of low severity (H5N1) avian influenza (bird flu) was confirmed by the Scottish authorities on a poultry breeding farm in Dunfermline in January 2016. We published an epidemiological report summarising our investigations into the case.

A case of H7N7 avian flu was confirmed near Preston, Lancashire in July 2015. A low severity case of H7N7 was confirmed in February 2015 in chickens at a farm in Hampshire. A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 was confirmed in November 2014 in ducks on premises in East Yorkshire. We have published reports about the investigations we carried out. Earlier papers about these cases are available on the National Archives website.

Control strategy

Disease control strategy

Cases of avian influenza, if they occur, are controlled by following the contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases and the notifiable avian disease control strategy. You can read what happens when a notifiable disease is suspected or confirmed.

Legislation on avian influenza

The legislation covering avian influenza includes:

Enforcement

Avian influenza controls are enforced by local authorities.

Penalties for offences

Breach of controls is an offence, with an unlimited fine on summary conviction and up to 3 months' imprisonment per offence.