Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds at 38 premises in GB, with over 276 findings in wild birds in 80 separate locations. This is now the largest ever UK outbreak of AI, and there is no immediate sign of the situation improving.
Since introducing the Prevention Zone and mandatory housing, the outbreaks have continued to occur across Great Britain in domestic birds and the virus continues to be found in some wild birds submitted for disease surveillance.
The UK’s chief vet Christine Middlemiss told the BBC cases were now at a “phenomenal level” and cases would continue throughout wild birds’ migratory season, which would last until March. “We are going to need to keep up these levels of heightened biosecurity for all that time,” she said.
On 29 November, UK-wide housing order came into force, requiring all poultry keepers to house their birds.