Avian Influenza (Bird flu)
Latest Situation
- 29 June 2008 - 21 days have elapsed since primary cleansing and disinfection was completed on the premises in Oxfordshire, and the Protection Zone was lifted at 00.01 Sunday 29 June. The Surveillance Zone remains in place and bird gatherings and movement restrictions still apply in the Zone.
- 03 June 2008 - Defra [External website] has confirmed Avian Influenza in chickens on a premises near Banbury in Oxfordshire after preliminary tests were positive for the H7 strain.
- Following further laboratory results, the Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that the strain of H7 Avian Influenza present is highly pathogenic.
- A 3km inner and 10km outer Temporary Control Zone was established on 3 June with measures appropriate to a highly pathogenic strain. These measures remain in place and existing restrictions continue to apply.
- For full details and latest situation updates please vist the DEFRA website[External website]
Description of the Risk:
- Avian influenza is a distinct type of influenza which is not seasonal flu (i.e. standard flu, the type which affects the population as a matter of course, and which occurs every year during the winter). Nor is it a human flu pandemic. Click here for more information on the risk of a human flu pandemic.
- Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a flu virus which affects birds. In some limited circumstances - essentially where there is close contact with birds - it can affect other animals (such as pigs) and humans. There are many strains of avian influenza viruses, which vary in their ability to cause disease. There is currently an increased global spread of the H5N1 virus type of avian influenza in poultry and wild birds, with the majority of cases in Asia but increasingly also in Europe and Africa.
- Despite these recent cases of avian influenza, the evidence suggests that the H5N1 strain does not pass easily from birds to people. People can become infected but rarely are. Where they have caught H5N1 it is because of close and prolonged contact with infected poultry. There is no confirmed evidence that H5N1 has acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person.
- The most severe form of avian influenza (highly pathogenic) is a notifiable animal disease which was last confirmed in the United Kingdom in November 2007 at a infected premises near Diss, Norfolk. This was caused by H5N1 virus and was quickly stamped out.
- There is always a low risk that any avian influenza virus may be introduced to the UK via trade in live poultry and their products and migratory birds. Illegal imports are another possible route. Defra makes regular assessments of the risk from avian influenza, and international animal health measures are in place to reduce the risk of import from the poultry trade.
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Information and Guidance for the Public:
- FCO: Avian and Pandemic Influenza: factsheet for British nationals travelling or resident overseas [External website]
- The Scottish and UK Chief Veterinary Officers have emphasised that there is no reason for public health concern; avian influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass to humans very rarely and with difficulty, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces.
- Advice from the Food Standards Agency [External website] remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
- If you need to report groups of dead birds, or need advice on avian flu, please contact the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77) and choose the Avian Influenza option which is open from 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday. Defra has issued Guidance on handling and disposing of dead garden and wild birds [External website].
- On 9th July, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) prepared a risk assessment on the risk from avian influenza to visitors to public parks and open waters [External website]. The report concludes that there is no excess risk to visitors and that there should be no restrictions on park visiting. [External PDF, 70KB, 10 pages]
- Further information can be found on the Defra website [External website].
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Government Planning and Response:
- Defra [External website] is the lead department for animal diseases, including avian influenza, in England. Animal disease is a largely devolved matter, with responsibility sitting with the devolved administrations - the Scottish Executive[External website], Welsh Assembly Government [External website] and Northern Ireland departments [External website]. Defra and the devolved administrations work very closely together.
- Defra have produced an updated and revised strategy [External website] (18/09/06) to screen wild birds for the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was announced today. Defra's targeted surveillance strategy will involve sampling for the disease in areas which have higher numbers of migrating waterfowl and larger poultry populations.
- Defra keep the need for new controls on poultry under constant review. Meanwhile they have issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on biosecurity measures [External website] to protect their birds from avian influenza. It is crucial that keepers follow these measures, and if they keep their birds outdoors they need to have a clear plan for housing them in an outbreak if this is considered necessary. We also ask members of the public to report to the Defra helpline (08459 33 55 77) any unusual wild bird deaths.
- Defra held an Exercise during April 2006 - Exercise Hawthorn [External website] - to test response to an Avian Influenza outbreak.
- The Government continues to work closely with ornithological and meteorological experts and other stakeholders.
- We are taking a lead role in international initiatives to coordinate action on avian influenza.
- The EU has introduced a temporary ban until the end of July (subject to review) on imports of captive (wild) birds into the EU from other countries.
- Defra is prepared for high pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in UK poultry. A full contingency plan is in place to tackle the disease. We have already used this contingency plan recently for the Newcastle Disease outbreak last year. The key to effective disease control is early detection and rapid response.
- We have eradicated previous outbreaks of high pathogenic avian influenza successfully in domestic birds.
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Recent Cases:
- 10 January 2008 - Defra [External website] has confirmed Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset, following positive test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. These birds were found and tested following our routine surveillance programme.
- 13 November 2007 - Following further test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) the Acting Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that the strain of Avian Influenza present at the Infected Premises near Diss is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.
- 19 November 2007 - Laboratory test results have today confirmed H5N1 Avian Influenza in turkeys at one of the Dangerous Contact premises. These premises were confirmed as a Dangerous Contact, and culling was completed on 17th November. On clinical inspection the flock appeared healthy which indicates the infection was in its early stages. As a result of confirming disease this now becomes the second Infected Premises. A 3km radius Protection Zone is being placed around the premises on the Norfolk-Suffolk border and the existing Surveillance Zone is being extended.
- 19 December 2007 - As of 11.00am, the Surveillance and Restriction Zones will be lifted, and all related restrictions on bird gatherings and movements of poultry and poultry meat within the zones will also lift. This follows expert consideration of surveillance and tracing resultswhich indicate that infection has been contained to the two premises in Suffolk.
- 7th June 2007 Tests have provided positive results for low pathogenic avian influenza [External website] in poultry on a non-commercial small holding near St Helens, Merseyside, England. Birds at the holding were purchased from the same market held in Chelford on Monday 7th May associated with the recent outbreak of H7N2 low pathogenic avian influenza in Conwy, North Wales.
- On 3rd July, the Declaration made on 7th June was revoked and all restrictions around the premises were lifted.
- Secondary cleansing and disinfection was completed on Friday 6 July.
- 23rd May 2007 A case of H7N2 low pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in Corwen, Conwy, North Wales. [External website]
- On 15th June, the Declaration made on 24th May was revoked and all restrictions around the premises were lifted.
- A full epidemiological investigation is underway to determine the source of this outbreak. Animal Health are carrying out inspections on all the infected and suspect premises as well as tracing all poultry movements and other relevant contacts onto and off the premises.
- The Health Protection Agency [External website] is providing expert support and advice to the National Public Health Service for Wales [External website] . The Agency has carried out tests on specimens from nine people associated with the incident; seven are from Wales and two were from north west England. Four of the test results were positive - two of these were from Wales and two were from north west England. The remaining five test results came back as negative. However because these five cases were associated with the birds and had a compatible illness, they are being treated as a precaution.
- Frequently asked questions [External website]
- February 2007 - H5N1 High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry, Upper Holton, Suffolk [External website]. On Saturday 3 February 2007, highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was confirmed on a poultry farm in Holton, Suffolk. A 3 km Protection Zone and 10 km Surveillance Zone were imposed along with a wider Restricted Zone. Following the appropriate testing and response measures, and no further cases, restrictions around the farm were lifted on 12 March 2007.
Further Information
For more detailed information click here to go to the avian influenza [External website] page on the Defra website.
For more background information, go to the Animal and Plant Diseases section of this site.
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