The Chief Veterinary Officer has announced the UK has met
international requirements to declare itself free from
Avian Influenza (AI) H5N3, but reiterated calls for all
poultry keepers to remain vigilant for signs of disease, as
there is a real and constant threat.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to
circulate in Europe and as winter approaches later in the
year, the risk of migratory wild birds infecting domestic
poultry will rise. The UK was previously declared free of
Avian Flu in September 2017 and has remained free of highly
pathogenic avian influenza since then. But a low pathogenic
strain disease returned in December 2019 which was quickly
met by Government action.
In December, a single case of low pathogenic avian flu of
the H5N3 strain, which poses no threat to human health, was
confirmed at a commercial chicken farm in Suffolk. The
Animal and Plant Health Agency put movement restrictions in
place to limit the spread of disease and carried out
thorough investigations into the source and possible spread
of infection and concluded that the most likely source was
indirect contact with wild birds. The full epidemiology
report is available on GOV.UK.
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Christine
Middlemiss, urged keepers to remain vigilant for signs of
disease and reiterated the need for good
biosecurity at all times:
Declaring the UK free from avian flu is an important
milestone that will help our efforts to re-open export
markets. The case in December was met with swift action
by the APHA and industry and I would like to thank
everyone for their efforts in helping us to very
effectively contain the disease.
However, I urge all keepers to be vigilant – there is a
constant risk of avian flu from wild birds and this will
increase later in the year when winter approaches,
temperatures fall, and migratory birds arrive in the UK.
All poultry keepers should take steps to reduce the risk
to their birds by maintaining good robust biosecurity at
all times, such as cleaning footwear, feeding birds
indoors, and minimising contact with wild birds. Building
these simple actions into routines now can help prepare
for any future outbreaks.
The government continues to monitor the international
situation and carry out surveillance in poultry and wild
birds and publish regular disease updates.
- Under World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) rules,
three months must elapse from the application of measures
to prevent the spread of disease after cleansing and
disinfection of the last infected premises before a country
can be declared disease-free. Countries are required to
fulfil a number of requirements on biosecure disposal of
carcases, the application of effective disinfection and
surveillance.
- H5N3 avian flu was confirmed at a commercial premises
in Suffolk on 10 December 2019 with further information
available here. Secondary cleansing and disinfection was
completed on 13 March 2020.
- The UK CVO will declare on the UK’s behalf by
submitting an evidence paper to OIE for publication on the
OIE WAHIS website alongside other countries that have
already self-declared.
- Read and download our latest biosecurity guidance and
our advice poster for keepers of poultry (PDF, 1 page).
