Avian flu measures reduced

25 April 2023

Mandatory measures for housing poultry and captive birds were lifted on Tuesday 18 April but an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains in force across England.

The measures were introduced to help stop the spread of bird flu.

What is an AIPZ?

The AIPZ means that all bird keepers (whether they are in households or commercial) must take extra precautions, such as restricting access for non-essential people on site, ensuring workers change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

All bird keepers are required to implement robust measures to protect them from contact either directly or indirectly with wild birds, to help protect their flocks from the threat of avian influenza. The disease could kill birds if the necessary steps aren’t taken.

The scale of avian influenza outbreaks across the UK and Europe have been unprecedented with cases being confirmed into the second year of an outbreak for the first time. The UK has faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with over 330 cases confirmed across the country since late October 2021.

Government advice on how to prevent bird flu
How to report dead wild birds