The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has upgraded the risk level of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) for England.
Defra stated that the elevated risk level follows an increased number of confirmed cases of the bird flu virus.
According to the department, a change in the pattern of wild bird findings with the disease has been recorded.
As well as that, a change in the pattern of cases in poultry and captive birds has also being noted by Defra, ultimately leading to the elevated risk update.
As of August 15, all poultry considered to have sub-optimal biosecurity will be at risk level medium, meaning bird flu cases occur regularly.
However risk levels for poultry with high standard and consistent biosecurity are currently been classed as low.
Since the first case of bird flu in the England on November 17, 2024, there has been 77 confirmed cases of the HPAI H5N1 virus across the entirety of the UK.
68 of the total cases of bird flu were recorded in England alone, while three have been confirmed in Scotland, two in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Risk levels
In Defra’s latest outbreak assessment (published on August 11), it stated that there has been nine cases of bird flu (HPAI H5N1) in domestic poultry across the UK since July 21.
In addition, the department confirmed there had been a further 78 cases of bird flu found in dead wild birds in the month.
As of August 19, the risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Britain is assessed as high (event occurs very often).
The 78 cases this month brings the total figure of cases confirmed in wild bird since October 1, 2024, up to 848.
Of those, 767 were confirmed as HPAI H5N1, 41 as HPAI H5N5, and 40 as HPAI H5Nx .
Based on laboratory testing, the number of cases in wild birds declined from 205 in February to 60 in June.
However, Defra said that these numbers have started to increase again, with 113 cases in July, while the wild bird risk level across Britain remains at status high.
