The Chief Veterinary Officers across the UK are encouraging all poultry keepers to prepare for winter Avian Flu threat through biosecurity measures.
There are some simple measures that all bird keepers, whether they are running a large commercial farm, keeping a few birds in their back garden or rearing game birds, should take to protect their animals against the threat of avian influenza in the coming winter months. These include:
- Keep the area where birds live clean and tidy, control rats and mice and regularly disinfect any hard surfaces.
- Clean footwear before and after visits.
- Place birds’ feed and water in fully enclosed areas that are protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly.
Last winter, the H5N6 HPAI strain of bird flu was only detected in wild birds and there were no outbreaks in domestic birds, either in commercial or small holdings. Although there have been no findings in the UK since June 2018 the virus is still circulating in wild birds in North Europe (including Denmark and Germany) and has caused outbreaks in poultry. In addition, the H5N8 HPAI virus continues to circulate in Eastern Europe, highlighting the need to stay vigilant.