If you are a commercial poultry keeper or just do it as a hobby, DEFRA has now issued guidance for precautions you can take to prevent the spread of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu), should it ever reach the UK.
Poultry keepers may be required by law to house birds indoors if the virus hits, so you should be putting together plans for this now just in case.
Download the DEFRA guide by clicking on Preparing for Avian Influenza (pdf).
Avian Influenza (AI) is a highly infectious viral disease affecting many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds.
It is one of the most important poultry diseases. The severity of the disease depends upon the strain of virus, and the type of bird infected. Some strains of the disease - known as "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza" (HPAI) - can cause severe disease in poultry, with a death rate (in poultry) of up to 100%.
The impact of outbreaks can vary: recent losses in South East Asia have been severe, but some other outbreaks did not spread widely.
The disease can develop so rapidly that birds may die without showing any previous signs of the disease.
If an outbreak of HPAI occurred, exports of live birds, eggs and poultry products would be banned (source: Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003, ISBN 0110458230).
Movement restrictions will be applied to the premises, and to movements of birds, eggs, manure and used litter in a wider area surrounding them. This will minimise the risk of disease spread. Surveillance of flocks around the infected premises will also be carried out.
In the case of HPAI, national control measures require all birds on infected premises to be slaughtered, as well as "dangerous contacts", that are identified by tracing investigations.
Although humans can be infected from birds, the current HPAI H5N1 strain does not readily infect people, and there is very limited (if any) person-to-person spread. The main significance for human health is that birds could be the source of new strains of Influenza virus
As long as hygienic cooking practices are maintained, the risk from infected poultry meat is low.
Schedule 3 of the Animal Health Act 1981 states that compensation for poultry that are not diseased shall be the value immediately before slaughter.