New housing measures to protect poultry and captive birds against avian flu
30 November 2021
Article: 55/4809
The Chief Veterinary Officers for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland have agreed to bring in new housing measures 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 came into force on 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.
Wild birds migrating to the UK from mainland Europe during the winter months can carry the disease and this can lead to cases in poultry and other captive birds.
The Scottish Government has advised that the risk to public health from the virus is very low, and the UK food standards agencies inform that avian influenzas poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers, as it does not affect the consumption of poultry products, including eggs.