H5N1 bird flu in Britain: AIPZ housing rules, cases

Here’s the short version for bird keepers: Great Britain is in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, and from 00:01 on Thursday 6 November 2025 England has mandatory housing rules. If you keep more than 50 birds, you must house them. If you keep fewer than 50 and everything is for your own use, you don’t have to. If you keep fewer than 50 but sell or give away eggs, birds or products, you count as ‘poultry’ and must house them. These are legal requirements set by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Since Monday 3 November, Defra and APHA have confirmed H5N1 at multiple premises in England and Wales, with two further sites in Northern Ireland. The latest is a commercial premises near Welshpool, Powys (Sunday 9 November): a 3km protection and 10km surveillance zone applies, and part of that 10km area falls in England. Other confirmations include near Hallow in Worcestershire (Saturday); Feltwell and Attleborough in Norfolk, Alford in Lincolnshire and a second site near Thirsk in North Yorkshire (Friday); plus earlier cases near Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire), Kirkham and Preesall (Lancashire), Corby Glen (Lincolnshire), Wells‑next‑the‑Sea (North Norfolk), Thirsk (North Yorkshire) and Crediton (Mid Devon). The running total this season is 36 UK cases: England 28, Wales 5, Northern Ireland 3, Scotland 0. Under World Organisation for Animal Health rules the UK is not currently ‘free’ from HPAI. Some zones have already been lifted after controls.

What it means: confirmation at a site triggers legal controls. A 3km protection zone places the tightest limits on housing, movements, waste and on‑farm practice; a 10km surveillance zone adds testing, record‑keeping and movement restrictions. A Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone may be used for some premises. Moving birds, eggs, meat or even some mammals often needs a licence. Always check your address on the official disease zone map and read the declaration for your area before moving anything.

Risk picture in plain language: APHA assesses risk in wild birds as very high. For keepers, risk is high where biosecurity is weak and low where it is consistently applied. UKHSA says the risk to the public remains very low and the FSA says properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.

Spot something worrying outdoors? Don’t touch dead or sick wild birds. Use the official reporting service (online or by phone) so APHA can triage, collect where needed and test. Reporting takes minutes and helps protect both wildlife and flocks.

You can still feed garden birds, but good hygiene matters: wash hands after feeding and avoid attracting large congregations near places that keep poultry or other captive birds. If you manage game birds inside an AIPZ, additional rules apply to where and how you feed to minimise contact with kept birds.

If you keep birds, think of biosecurity as a daily routine. Keep feed and water under cover, clean footwear and equipment at entry and exit, fence or net outdoor areas if birds are not housed, keep ducks and geese apart from other species, and keep simple records. Your vet can help you shape a workable plan for your set‑up.

Asking about vaccines? In England you cannot vaccinate poultry or most captive birds. Vaccination is limited to eligible zoo birds with APHA authorisation, and trade rules can restrict movements of vaccinated birds. Government and the VMD continue to explore options, but the main defences are early reporting, rapid culling on affected premises, surveillance and biosecurity.

Planning a show or market? If you are not in a disease control zone, you can apply for a specific licence for poultry gatherings or follow the general licence for gatherings of other captive birds. You must notify APHA at least seven days ahead, and gatherings are not allowed in AIPZ areas where birds must be housed.

Mammals can occasionally be infected with influenza of avian origin. In Great Britain this is notifiable in both wild and kept mammals. Vets, labs and wildlife professionals must report suspicion or detections immediately - in England call 03000 200 301; in Wales 03003 038 268; in Scotland contact your local Field Services Office - or you could be breaking the law.

Before moving birds, eggs, meat or equipment, check if you need a licence and read the rules for your zone. Many decisions are time‑limited and can change quickly, so set a daily reminder to check the disease zone map and the latest declarations. It’s a simple habit that keeps you on the right side of both safety and the law.

Learning lens for classrooms and clubs: build a simple timeline of confirmed cases, map the 3km and 10km zones, and discuss why housing orders and rapid culls are used in disease control. Use official updates to practise data skills while keeping the conversation grounded in evidence.