Wednesday, November 5, 2025 - The UK government has ordered that all poultry and captive birds in England be kept indoors from Thursday, November 6, following a sharp rise in cases of avian influenza across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 4, the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the new housing order
applies to all bird keepers with more than 50 birds, or those who sell or give
away eggs, as part of an expanded effort to contain the virus.
“The new measures mean bird keepers across the whole of
England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep more than 50… or
if they sell or give eggs away,” the statement read.
The announcement extends earlier regional restrictions
imposed last week in parts of northern, central, and eastern England to now
cover the entire country.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said the
step was necessary in light of the escalating outbreaks.
“Given the continued increase in the number of avian
influenza cases in kept birds and wild birds across England, we are now taking
the difficult step to extend the housing measures to the whole of England,”
Middlemiss said.
While the spread of the virus poses a major risk to the
poultry industry, authorities reassured the public that the risk to human
health remains low and that properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
Data from the European Surveillance for Animal Health (ESA)
shows that between August 1 and late October, there were 85 recorded avian flu
outbreaks across Europe, with 28 cases occurring in the final week of that
period. Six of those outbreaks were recorded in Britain.
Earlier this year, in response to an uptick in infections,
the UK government implemented mandatory bird culls within a three-kilometre
radius of confirmed cases and strengthened hygiene and movement controls in
affected zones.
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