DEFRA UK Department for Environment Food an : Avian influenza (bird flu) in winter 2016 to 2017

We have brought together key information about avian influenza (bird flu) risks in this news story, which is regularly updated if the situation changes.

The Prevention Zone will be extended to 28 February 2017. This requires poultry to be 'housed' away from wild birds.

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a disease of birds.The H5N8 strain of the disease has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Lincolnshire, and at a premises in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and restrictions are in place. The same strain has also been found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales.

Risks to public health are very low and avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.

We have taken several actions to reduce the risks - to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu. If you keep poultry - whether on a commercial scale or simply a small backyard flock - you are now required by law to keep them 'housed' (under cover and kept separate from wild birds). This requirement (the Prevention Zone) will now be extended until 28 February 2017. We have banned gatherings of poultry across the UK.

All poultry keepers must continue to keep a close watch on the health of their birds, and put in place a high level of biosecurity precautions.

Members of the public are encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks), or other dead wild birds such as gulls or birds of prey, to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. 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.

Find more information

These links provide further guidance to poultry keepers and to the public.

Government announcements

We have made several announcements: