An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is in place from 30 January 2025.
Avian influenza control zones
Current cases and control measures in place
Follow the links for guidance on the restrictions affecting each case of avian influenza.
To find out if your premises is within one of these zones, see the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s interactive map.
The risk to public health from the virus is very low.
Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
How to report cases
Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds, but report them to Defra.
Latest updates
Know the latest risk to your poultry and pet birds and steps you must take.
Latest update from Welsh Government - link opens a new tab
Clinical signs
The following clinical signs may be present:
- swollen head
- blue discolouration of the neck and throat
- loss of appetite
- respiratory distress such as: gaping beak, coughing/sneezing, gurgling
- diarrhoea
- fewer eggs laid
- increased mortality
Register poultry (including game birds)
You should register your poultry, even if only kept as pets, so APHA can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.
Poultry includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants.
Got to GOV.UK for information on registering poultry and game birds
Biosecurity advice
All bird keepers are urged to maintain high levels of biosecurity, whether you have a few pet birds, or if you have a large commercial flock.
Measures to ensure high levels of biosecurity for all poultry keepers
- Ensuring the areas where birds are kept are unattractive to wild birds, for example, by netting ponds and surrounding areas and by removing wild bird food sources.
- Feeding and watering flocks in enclosed areas to discourage wild birds.
- Minimising movement of people in and out of bird enclosures.
- Cleaning and disinfecting footwear, using foot dips before entering poultry enclosures, and keeping areas where birds live clean and tidy.
- Reducing any existing contamination by cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas and fencing off wet or boggy areas.
- Keeping domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry.
- Wild game birds “caught up” during the open season must not be moved for a minimum of 21 days, subject to conditions within the declaration.
- Ensuring records are kept in line with the conditions within the declaration. Completing the mandatory biosecurity self-assessment checklist within 7 days. To help keep birds disease-free, we have created two biosecurity self-assessment checklists for commercial and small poultry keepers.
- Keepers with more than 500 birds will also be required to take extra biosecurity measures, including restricting access to non-essential people, changing clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures, and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles.