Site Search Main menu Home Topics Publications Consultations Contact Avian Influenza (AI) Topics: Animal Health and Welfare Diseases that affect pigs Diseases that affect poultry and birds Avian influenza (AI), commonly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds. It may also pose a threat to people and other animals in certain circumstances. Jump to table of contents Avian influenza is a notifiable animal disease. If you keep poultry (including game birds or as pets) please remain vigilant for any signs of disease in your flock. If you have any concerns about the health of your birds please report it to your Private Veterinary Practitioner. If notifiable disease is suspected, contact the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or your local DAERA Direct Regional Office. Failure to do so is an offence. Contact the DAERA helpline on 0300 200 7840 if you find one or more dead gulls, waders, ducks, geese, swans (webbed feet, long legs or long neck) or birds of prey. Any other single dead birds do not need to be reported. Bird registration Please note that by law, bird keepers should register their birds. This applies to all birds except those kept within your home. This will enable the Department to provide you with up-to-date information about avian influenza and measures you can take to prevent spread to your birds. A registration form is available from the link below or by contacting your local DAERA Direct Regional Office. Bird registration form Avian Influenza text alert service By signing up to our text alert service you can keep up to date with the latest news. You will receive immediate notification of any disease outbreak or other important disease information, enabling you to protect your flock at the earliest opportunity. Subscription is easy. Simply text ‘BIRDS’ to 67300. The text alert service privacy notice explains how DAERA will use and protect your personal information in relation to the Avian Influenza Text Alert service. Latest Situation Update 24 November 2021 New housing measures will come into force across the UK from 00:01 on Monday 29 November 2021 as part of the measures of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. A housing order will be introduced across Great Britain simultaneously. From this date, all bird keepers will be legally required to keep their birds indoors except in very specific circumstances. Bird keepers should take the necessary steps to prepare. See the AIPZ section and DAERA Press Release for more details. The decision to introduce mandatory housing as a further preventative measure within the AIPZ follows the detection of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in a number cases across Great Britain, the confirmation of a case of HPAI H5N1 in County Monaghan as well as the recent confirmations in wild birds across Northern Ireland in recent weeks. If you keep poultry or captive birds, please follow our Biosecurity Guidance and use our Biosecurity Checklist. A ‘Protect Your Flock’ webinar, in conjunction with CAFRE will be held on Wednesday 1 December to heighten awareness of the importance of good biosecurity focussing on the hobby flock sector. Details can be found at the following link Protect your flock webinar | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk) Update 22 November 2021 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed on a commercial housed turkey flock in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland on 20 November. Disease control restriction zones have been put in place around the infected premises. In addition, authorities have announced the introduction of a housing order across the Republic of Ireland whereby all poultry and captive birds must now be kept in secure housing or otherwise separate from wild birds. See DAERA press release and DAFM website below for further details. Avian Influenza confirmed at commercial holding in Republic of Ireland | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk) gov.ie - Avian Influenza H5N1 confirmed in a turkey flock in Monaghan (www.gov.ie) (external link opens in a new window / tab) There have also been further cases of HPAI H5N1 confirmed in England. See Current AI Situation section for more details. Update 17 November 2021 An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been declared across Northern Ireland beginning at 00:01 on 17 November 2021. See the AIPZ section below for further information. See DAERA Press Release for further details. The Republic of Ireland also announced similar precautionary measures. See DAFM Press Release (external link opens in a new window / tab) for further details. Following confirmation of HPAI H5N1 in poultry, the UK is no longer free from avian influenza under the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) rules. See the DEFRA Website (external link opens in a new window / tab) for more details. Avian influenza has been confirmed in birds at premises in England, Wales, and Scotland. See the Current AI Situation, for further information. Wild Birds Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in two wild birds in Northern Ireland. The birds were retrieved from Belfast Waterworks. Two further birds collected from the Harbour Estate in Belfast have also returned positive avian influenza results. Pathogenicity pending. There have been over 140 confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 detected in wild birds across Great Britain. The Republic of Ireland have reported 50 cases of HPAI H5N1 in wild birds at eight locations. Avian Influenza Map Viewer DAERA have recently launched an Avian Influenza Map Viewer where, in the event of a disease outbreak, you can view the location and boundaries of any Protection and Surveillance Zones for the control of Avian Influenza. Launch the Avian Influenza Map Viewer Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) In addition to the current requirements of the AIPZ, new housing measures will come into force at 00:01 on the 29 November 2021. The Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have agreed to bring in these housing measures across the whole of the UK to protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza following a number of confirmed cases across Great Britain in recent weeks. The new housing measures, which will come into force at 00:01 on Monday 29 November 2021, mean that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers across the UK to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease. See our biosecurity advice (external link opens in a new window / tab) for further information on how to prepare for when these mandatory housing measures come into force across the UK on the 29 November 2021. From 00:01 on 29 November 2021 additional housing measures will come into force across the UK, these will be in addition to the current mandatory enhanced biosecurity measures introduced in GB on 3 November 2021 and in NI on the 17 November 2021. See AIPZ Declaration here. See DAERA Press Release for further details. The AIPZ places a legal requirement on all bird keepers in Northern Ireland to follow strict biosecurity measures. This applies if you keep pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard or hobby flock. These mandatory biosecurity measures are to help prevent the spread of the disease from wild birds, or another source, to poultry, including: a ban on poultry gatherings a requirement that poultry or other captive birds are provided with food and water to which wild birds have no access, avoiding transfer of contamination between premises by cleansing and disinfecting equipment, vehicles and footwear; separating domestic waterfowl (ducks and geese) from other domestic species, and reducing the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry or captive birds are kept If you keep poultry or captive birds, please follow our Biosecurity Guidance and use our Biosecurity Checklist. Full details of measures required within the AIPZ can be found in the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone Guidance and Q&A here. The introduction of mandatory housing as a further preventative measure within the AIPZ comes following the rise in wild bird and poultry cases across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It follows a risk assessment containing the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice. The Republic of Ireland also announced similar precautionary housing measures effective from 22 November. For more details visit the DAFM website (external link opens in a new window / tab) . An AIPZ was declared across Great Britain, effective from 5pm on 3 November 2021. For further details, please see DAERA press release: Avian Influenza Prevention Zone introduced in GB | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk) and the below links: England - DEFRA website (external link opens in a new window / tab) Scotland - Scottish Government website (external link opens in a new window / tab) Wales - Welsh Government website (external link opens in a new window / tab) Avian influenza has been confirmed in birds at premises in England, Wales, and Scotland. See the Current AI Situation, for further information. Biosecurity Checklist Excellent biosecurity remains the best defence for reducing the risk of transmission of avian influenza to poultry or other captive birds. A self-assessment tool to aid flock keepers in the review of their biosecurity arrangements and provide the necessary assurances is available, to access this tool, Click Here. DAERA encourages anyone who keeps birds from one bird upwards to consider this checklist to protect your birds, the poultry industry and our economy over this higher risk period. The checklist can be completed online and saved to your device. Current AI Situation Cases in Northern Ireland There have been no cases of avian influenza confirmed in Northern Ireland during the 2021 to 2022 season. A veterinary risk assessment (VRA) is currently underway to determine the disease risks for the Northern Ireland poultry flock. The Department continues to work closely with colleagues in DEFRA and DAFM to monitor the situation across GB and the ROI. Cases in the Republic of Ireland Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed on two commercial poultry holdings in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. Restrictions and disease control zones have been put in place around both infected premises to limit the spread of disease. For more details visit the DAFM website (external link opens in a new window / tab) . Cases in England Since the first case confirmed in this outbreak on the 26 October 2021, 11 cases of HPAI H5N1 have been confirmed in England. Two further cases of avian influenza H5N1 have also been confirmed (pathogenicity pending). As a result of a number of these confirmations and ongoing suspect cases in North Yorkshire, a new avian influenza prevention zone has been declared in the area affecting the districts of Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire. This means that it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers in that area to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures. See the DEFRA Website (external link opens in a new window / tab) for further information. For details of these cases in England and the measures that apply in the disease control zones, see the avian influenza: cases and disease control zones in England (external link opens in a new window / tab) guidance. Cases in Scotland The following case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises in Scotland: in the Angus constituency See the Scottish Government website (external link opens in a new window / tab) for further information. Cases in Wales The following case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises in Wales: Wrexham (backyard chickens and wild birds) See the Welsh Government website (external link opens in a new window / tab) for further information. Further information is available on the DEFRA , Scottish Government (external link opens in a new window / tab) , Welsh Government (external link opens in a new window / tab) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (external link opens in a new window / tab) websites. Risk Level Following the completion of a Veterinary Risk Assessment (VRA) the risk of a HPAI incursion to domestic poultry in NI is now assessed as low if effective biosecurity is in place increasing to moderate if the biosecurity measures are considered inadequate. The VRA highlighted that it was imperative the poultry industry should re-inforce their biosecurity arrangements including the physical separation of wild birds, particularly water fowl and gulls, from poultry and captive birds. The Chief Vets from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are urging bird keepers across the UK to maintain and strengthen their biosecurity measures in order to prevent further outbreaks of avian influenza in the UK. If you keep poultry or captive birds, please follow our Biosecurity Guidance and use our Biosecurity Checklist If you keep poultry (including game birds or as pets) please remain vigilant for any signs of disease in your flock and if you have any concerns about the health of your birds please report it to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or to your local DAERA Direct Regional Office. Contact the DAERA helpline on 0300 200 7840 if you find one or more dead gulls, waders, ducks, geese, swans (webbed feet, long legs or long neck) or birds of prey. Any other single dead birds do not need to be reported. The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low. The Food Standards Agency has also advised, in avian influenza incursions of this type, that there is a very low risk to public health from the consumption of properly cooked poultry meat or eggs provided appropriate hygiene measures are followed. Avian influenza is unconnected with coronavirus (Covid-19). You can sign up to our text alert service to keep up to date with the latest important news. Subscription is easy. Simply text ‘BIRDS’ to 67300.You don’t need to sign up if you have registered your poultry. Bird Gatherings As part of the measures in the AIPZ, poultry gatherings will not be permitted in Northern Ireland. The bird gatherings General Licence in effect from midday on 20 May 2021, has now been revoked. A new General Licence for bird gatherings that are permitted within the AIPZ is available here. The Department will continue to monitor the avian influenza situation. Pigeons or birds of prey You are permitted to race your pigeons in NI. You are permitted to fly birds of prey, but you should try to prevent them from making direct contact with (or catching) wildfowl. Keep a close watch on the health of your birds. Movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland As the outbreak has been defined as not affecting poultry, there are no legal requirements to restrict movement of poultry from Great Britain to Northern Ireland or other areas of the European SPS zone. Since January 2021, movement of live poultry and products of animal origin to Northern Ireland from Great Britain has been subject to certification requirements. The European Commission have scope to make an independent assessment of disease risk, and DAERA will update industry should conditions change. Trade implications There are considerable economic implications of epizootic disease outbreaks when they occur. The confirmation of HPAI has the potential to have a significant impact on our poultry industry and on international trade. The consequences for completion of export health certification can complicate and delay consignments for some time after the initial outbreak. The UK made a Self-Declaration of Freedom from HPAI on 3 September 2021 which has been published by the World Animal Health Organisation (Office Internationale Epizootic O.I.E). The declaration formally ended all the trade restricted regions which had been in place following the outbreak, meaning that poultry reared across all areas in Northern Ireland is eligible for export to most international markets from 3 September, except under specific conditions. As a general rule, where certificates are available, they will be accessed on the DEFRA Form Finder (external link opens in a new window / tab) website. In the event of specific queries these can be requested on email request to DAERATradeExports@daera-ni.gov.uk. The UK is maintaining OIE Free status for poultry at this present time in line with recognised OIE definitions, despite finding HPAI in wild birds. However, owing to the particular concerns related to HPAI, there may be an independent risk assessment of the status of the UK by trading partners and consequential restrictions or conditions applied. The Avian Influenza Stakeholder Group The Stakeholder Group is attended by key stakeholders from across the poultry sector. Meetings take place on a regular basis. DAERA and key stakeholders work closely together to ensure that the NI response to any disease circumstance is proportionate, appropriate and comprehensive. Key stakeholders agree that good vigilance and a high standard of biosecurity are required at the moment. Biosecurity guidance The best defence – as with all exotic animal diseases – is a high level of awareness and good biosecurity. Poultry keepers and businesses in Northern Ireland are reminded of the importance of maintaining biosecurity in their flocks and being vigilant to any signs of disease in their birds. We have published a biosecurity leaflet for all bird keepers and detailed guidance on biosecurity and preventing welfare impacts in poultry and captive birds. We have also published a biosecurity leaflet providing additional guidance for bird keepers visiting public places such as parks and wild waterfowl sites in order to reduce the risk of spreading disease to their birds. Help prevent Avian Influenza – additional biosecurity information leaflet If you suspect any strain of avian flu you must tell your local Divisional Veterinary Office immediately. Failure to do so can be deemed an offence. Further information on biosecurity and good practice is available via the links below: Biosecurity self-assessment tool Nov 2020 Biosecurity and housing requirements for chicken and turkey keepers Biosecurity and housing requirements for ducks, geese and game birds Help prevent Avian Influenza - biosecurity information leaflet Biosecurity and preventing welfare impacts in poultry and captive birds Guidance on Avian Influenza for hunters Avian Influenza labelling guidance Poultry keepers must continue to follow the existing animal welfare rules Backyard flocks If you keep a small flock of poultry or ‘captive birds’, you have an important role in preventing further disease outbreaks. An outbreak of bird flu in a backyard flock could have the same impact on poultry keepers and trade in poultry as an outbreak on a commercial farm. The above points are covered in our one page leaflet – print this and keep it handy, or put a copy on your noticeboard: Do you keep chickens, ducks, geese… Help protect your birds from the risk of bird flu (August 2017) Vaccination The vaccination of poultry and most captive birds against avian influenza is not currently permitted. Vaccination is not a routine control measure and is a practice restricted by legislation. What signs should I look out for? There are 2 types of avian influenza. Highly Pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Low Pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). Highly pathogenic avian influenza is the more serious type. The main clinical signs of HPAI in birds are: Swollen head Blue discoloration of neck and throat Loss of appetite Respiratory distress, such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling Diarrhoea Fewer eggs laid Increased mortality Nervous signs Dullness Clinical signs can vary between species of bird and some species, for example, ducks and geese, may show minimal clinical signs. Birds may often die without any signs of disease being apparent. However, there can be considerable variation in the clinical signs and severity of the disease. Avian Influenza is a notifiable disease. If you suspect that your birds have Avian Influenza, by law you must report it. You should contact your Private Veterinary Practitioner (PVP) or local DVO immediately so that it can be investigated. See some photos of clinical signs of avian influenza on Flickr (external link opens in a new window / tab) . How avian influenza is spread Avian influenza is not an airborne virus. It spreads from bird to bird by direct contact or through contaminated body fluids and faeces. It can also be spread by contaminated feed and water or by dirty vehicles, clothing and footwear. There is no evidence that any recent strain of avian influenza has been able to spread directly between people. It is very important to ensure that any outbreak of AI is controlled quickly and that workers and veterinarians in close contact with infected birds are well protected. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has a contingency plan in place to ensure that this is so. The Notifiable Epizootic Avian Disease Control Strategy describes how an outbreak of Avian Influenza or Newcastle Disease in Northern Ireland would be managed. Further information can be found at link below. Notifiable Epizootic Avian Disease Control Strategy Wild bird surveillance DAERA engages in year-round Avian Influenza (AI) surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports. Dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, should be reported to the DAERA helpline (Tel: 0300 200 7840). We then collect some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird. Not all birds will be collected. Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find. Where dead birds are not required for surveillance purposes it is the landowner’s responsibility to safely dispose of the carcases as animal by-products. Where dead birds are on public land it is the local authorities responsibility to safely dispose of the carcases as animal by-products. Wild bird cases Details of the latest avian influenza findings in wild birds in Europe can be found in the outbreak assessments available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-europe (external link opens in a new window / tab) . Public reporting The DAERA Helpline should be contacted at 0300 200 7840 if you find: one or more dead gulls, waterfowl, including waders/ducks/geese/swans, and birds of prey five or more birds of any other species You will be asked for details of the finding and the location. Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find. If you find any other single dead birds, including garden birds, you do not need to call the DAERA Helpline. You should contact your local council for advice on disposal. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after coming into contact with any animal and do not touch any sick or dead birds. Please note that due to the current situation with Covid-19, not all dead wild birds will be collected, but reports can still be made to the helpline where the information will be recorded. This will kept under review. Handling of dead birds If dead birds need to be handled, you should always take appropriate hygiene precautions such as wearing disposable protective gloves when picking up and handling carcases. If you don’t have gloves use a plastic bag. You should wash hands, nails and forearms thoroughly with soap and water after handling the carcase. If dead wild birds must be disposed of, please place them in a plastic bag and dispose of them in your domestic bin, or alternatively bury them in your garden. Domestic poultry The European Commission requires all Member States of the European Union to undertake surveys each year for avian influenza in poultry. As a result of the Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland Protocol, this is still a requirement for Northern Ireland. The purpose of this survey is to detect avian influenza (AI) virus infections of subtypes H5 and H7 in different species of poultry and provides valuable information across the EU for an early warning system of H5 and H7 AI infections. Early detection is also essential for effective control. The flocks that are chosen for sampling are drawn from poultry premises selected at random. The survey includes chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and feathered game classified as poultry. In Northern Ireland, premises are contacted in advance by DAERA staff to arrange a convenient time for sampling. Blood samples are taken from a number of birds on each premises. The samples are then screened for the presence of antibodies to avian influenza viruses of subtypes H5 and H7. Wetlands bird survey As part of their ongoing Wetlands bird survey over the winter months, Northern Ireland Environment Agency staff along with Non-government organisation partners monitors and report any unusual mortality of wild birds to DAERA. Contact details DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 USPCA Helpline 028 3025 1000 DAERA Direct Regional Offices Contact details for APHA England Email: customeradvice@apha.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 03000 200 301 Wales Email: apha.cymruwales@apha.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 03003 038 268 Scotland Email: aphascotlandshows@apha.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 01463 728 800 On this page Bird registration Avian Influenza text alert service Latest Situation Avian Influenza Map Viewer Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) Biosecurity Checklist Current AI Situation Risk Level Bird Gatherings Pigeons or birds of prey Movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland Trade implications Biosecurity guidance Backyard flocks Vaccination Related articles ADCTPB Pig Text Alert Service Privacy Notice ADCTPB Text Alert Service Privacy Notice African Swine Fever Aujeszky’s Disease Avian Avulavirus -1 AAvV-1 (Pigeon Paramyxovirus) Avian Influenza Stakeholder Meeting Classical Swine Fever EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid Foot and Mouth disease More related articles nidirect nibusinessinfo.co.uk GOV.UK © Crown Copyright Terms and Conditions Privacy Cookies Accessibility statement