10 Feb 2025
Restrictions have been introduced across England, Scotland and Wales today while officials in Northern Ireland have also pleaded for vigilance after the virus was detected there too.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image © Anton Dios / Adobe Stock
New restrictions banning gatherings of poultry and other bird species have been introduced in England, Scotland and Wales today (10 February), because of the continuing avian flu outbreak.
The restrictions, which came into force from noon today, apply to poultry, galliforme and anseriforme birds, although gatherings of other bird species are still permitted, subject to licence conditions being met.
Meanwhile, localised restrictions have been introduced after the virus was detected at a nature reserve in Northern Ireland.
An update issued by the APHA on Friday evening (7 February) said the gathering bans were being imposed in response to “the number of detections of avian influenza in kept and wild birds”.
Species affected include ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, partridge, quail, chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl.
So far, there have been 32 confirmed avian flu cases in England, all but one of the H5N1 strain, plus one in Scotland, since the present outbreak began in mid-November.
The latest poultry cases were confirmed at locations near Bodmin, Cornwall and Bromborough, Merseyside yesterday. Local control zones declared in the latter incident also cross the Welsh border and cover part of Flintshire.
They followed the detection of infections at separate locations in East Yorkshire, which were announced on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Meanwhile, a captive bird temporary control zone (CBTCZ) has been declared around a nature reserve in Northern Ireland following positive tests for the virus confirmed on Friday.
The 3km restriction is in place around a site outside Magherafelt, which has also been closed to the public.
DAERA minister Andrew Muir described the development as “very disheartening”, while the country’s CVO, Brian Dooher, pleaded with bird keepers to review their biosecurity measures in light of the outbreak.
He said: “If avian influenza were to enter our Northern Ireland commercial flock, it would have a significant and devastating impact on our poultry industry, international trade, and the wider economy.”
