Multiple bird flu cases detected across England

LONDON: Bird farms across England's eastern coast had to enforce preventative bird flu measures starting Monday after a spate of cases were detected in the latest outbreak of the virus.

UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said “further” cases of bird flu were detected in Norfolk, east England and East Riding of Yorkshire, northeast England in the last week.

On Monday, DEFRA decided to “pre-emptively” cull birds and enforce a three-kilometre (1.8-mile) protective zone in a Norfolk farm following reports of suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu.

A regional avian influenza prevention zone to prevent further cases has been enforced across east England, including in Lincolnshire and Suffolk.

Starting Monday, bird keepers in the zone must keep their birds housed to protect them from the virus.

The assessed risk of bird flu in wild birds has been increased to “very high” in Great Britain, which means that the risk “occurs almost certainly”.

It has also been raised to between “medium” and “high” for poultry.

So far, 11 cases of the H5N1 strain of the virus, and one case of the H5N5 strain have been detected in England in the current outbreak.

The first case in the outbreak was reported in November, and no cases have been confirmed so far in Scotland and Wales.

According to World Organisation for Animal Health rules, Great Britain is no longer free from HPAI.

The last case before the current season was detected in February 2024.

Between 2021 and 2023, the UK experienced its largest ever bird flu outbreak due to the H5N1 strain. It killed 3.8 million birds and the virus became widespread in wild bird populations.

Some UK seabird populations experienced “extensive declines” in the period, said a study by conservationists at the start of 2024.

The disease mainly affects birds and the risk to the general public's health is very low, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

However, scientists have raised concerns about the virus's ability to spread to and between mammals.