New Case in England
Premises near Wem, North Shropshire, Shropshire, England
- Highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed in birds at a
premises near
Wem, North Shropshire, Shropshire on the 15 December 2021.
- All birds on
the infected premises will be humanely culled.
- This
premises is in England, however the 10km zone extends into Wales.
Therefore a 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone
have been put in place by Defra for the relevant areas of England and a 10km Surveillance Zone and 10km Restricted Zone
have been put in place for the relevant areas of Wales by Welsh Government
(all zones in force from 21:30 on the 15 December 2021)
Keepers can check where disease control zones are located in GB and if they are in zone on the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) interactive map, and in Northern Ireland on DAERA’s interactive map.
For further information on these cases and details of the measures that apply in the disease control zones currently in force see:
England: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu-cases-and-disease-control-zones-in-england
This is particularly important given there are multiple overlapping zones.
Wales: https://gov.wales/avian-influenza-bird-flu-latest-update
Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/
Northern Ireland: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/avian-influenza-ai
To receive immediate notification of new cases and updated
zones in GB please sign up to the APHA’s Animal Disease alert subscription
service further details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apha-alert-subscription-service
Outbreak Case Summary
In summary, since the first case confirmed in this outbreak
on the 26 October 2021, 55 cases of avian influenza have been confirmed in the
UK:
- 46 are in
England: 46 cases of HPAI H5N1
- 4 are in
Scotland: 4 cases of HPAI H5N1
- 3 are in
Wales: 3 cases of HPAI H5N1
- 2 are in
Northern Ireland: 2 cases of HPAI H5N1 (plus 2 cases of slaughter on
suspicion)
This is now the largest ever UK outbreak of avian influenza with 54 confirmed cases (prior to this the largest number of cases was 26 cases in 2020/2021 and 13 cases in 2016/2017).
Bird keepers are reminded that an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) including housing measures is in force across the UK. See GOV.UK for further information.
High standards of biosecurity must be maintained as good practice for the health of your 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.
Find out what you can do to keep your birds free of avian influenza by registering for Defra’s ‘stop the spread’ webinars.
Keepers must keep a close watch on their birds for any signs of disease, and seek prompt advice from a vet if they have any concerns. Clinical signs indicative of avian influenza must be reported in England to Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact to the local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.