Poultry and captive birds across England and Scotland must be kept indoors for the second year in a row because of an increased risk of a devastating strain of bird flu.
The British government has issued an England-wide avian influenza prevention zone, meaning anyone with 50 or more poultry or captive birds must house them indoors. A similar order covering the whole of Scotland was made on Tuesday.
Bird keepers must also follow enhanced biosecurity measures, including reporting changes in egg production and reporting suspected disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
The government said the declaration followed an increased risk and a rising number of confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in kept and wild birds. A prevention zone was also declared across all of England, Scotland and Wales in 2025.
The disease has been spreading rapidly since 2014 and has devastated wild bird populations in Britain since the summer of 2021. It has also spread across an unusually wide range of species worldwide. Four of the five main southern elephant seal populations have reported the disease, and in some colonies in the south Atlantic more than 90 percent of newborn pups have died, along with about half of all adult females.
The disease has also been detected in humans. Eleven deaths were recorded globally between January 1 and August 4, 2025. The strain causes illness and high death rates in birds, and flu-like symptoms and conjunctivitis in people who come into close contact with infected animals. The British government said the current risk to human health remains very low.
The government said it does not expect any effect on the availability of Christmas turkeys or other seasonal poultry for consumers. The Food Safety Authority said properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
The UK's chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said that having avian influenza confirmed in a flock "can be devastating." She said she understood the impact the disease can have on the poultry sector and was extremely grateful for the industry's continued cooperation.
