ALL POULTRY AND captive birds are to be kept indoors under order from the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer amid concerns over an outbreak of avian influenza.

The mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive birds are to be introduced across England from midnight on November 7.

Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a notifiable animal disease and is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds.

It can also pose a threat to people and other animals in certain circumstances, but these types of infections are rare. 

There have been more than 200 cases bird flu confirmed in the UK since late October 2021.

The disease has been detected at more than 70 premises since the beginning of October, as well as multiple reports in wild birds.

The latest announcement comes following a decision by the chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss, who is encouraging all birdkeepers to use this week to prepare, including taking steps to safeguard animal welfare, consulting their private vet and expanding housing where necessary.

“We are now facing this year, the largest ever outbreak of bird flu and are seeing rapid escalation in the number of cases on commercial farms and in backyard birds across England,” Middlemiss said. 

The risk of kept birds being exposed to disease has reached a point where it is now necessary for all birds to be housed until further notice.

In Ireland, an uptick in cases of bird flu in wild Irish sea birds has prompted warnings from the Department of Agriculture but no flocks have yet been confirmed to have been infected with the fatal strain of bird flu this year. 

With an increasing number of cases of wild bird infection seen along the coast, all keepers of poultry and captive birds in Ireland are being told to implement stringent biosecurity measures.

However, a legal requirement to keep poultry confined or indoors is not currently in place in Ireland and the Department has not said whether such a measure is to be introduced. 

Such a requirement was in place in Ireland from November 2021 to April of this year.