The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Animal and Plant Health Agency has announced that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in non-commercial other captive birds on 3rd November 2022 in the Lancaster area, and declared a 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone, which will impact all local poultry owners.
All birds on the premises will be humanely culled.
The National Farmers Union has the following guidance relating to an avian flu outbreak and what poultry owners must do within a 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone A you must:
- Keep poultry and other captive birds housed inside their buildings. If this is impractical or significantly detrimental to welfare, then a veterinary inspector may direct you to isolate birds without housing them.
- Also follow the controls listed for the 10km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone B below.
Within a 10km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone B you must:
- Record any individuals visiting the premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept. Exceptions include zoos or wildlife parks (providing the public has no access to areas where birds are kept) and on public rights of way. An example visitor logbook can be downloaded from the Red Tractor website.
- Keep a record of all poultry or poultry eggs entering or leaving premises within the zone, except where eggs are being moved direct to retail premises or onwards from such premises.
- Adhere to strict biosecurity on and off the farm and follow any additional measures as directed by a veterinary inspector.
- Not allow the collection of poultry together for any fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering within the zone.
- Not release game birds.
- Ensure appropriate biosecurity measures are in place for people and vehicles entering or leaving premises where poultry, other captive birds or eggs are kept – disinfectants must be from the approved list.
- Ensure anyone who moves any poultry, other captive bird, meat, feed, manure, slurry, litter or any other thing which may be contaminated cleanses and disinfects the vehicle and any equipment used to transport that thing as soon as it is unloaded.
Anyone involved in the transport or marketing of poultry or poultry eggs must also make a record of those that are transported or marketed.
Movement licences are not required for movements into or out of a Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone A or B, unless the movement starts or finishes in a Protection or Surveillance Zone.
• Full details of the measures that apply in these zones are in the Declaration of a Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone (Avian Influenza) – near Lancaster, Lancaster, Lancashire (AIV2022/181) (PDF)
• Check the UK-wide updated bird flu disease control zone map