Avian Influenza Prevention Zone declared in England and Scotland

As of 9am on Wednesday 11 November 2026, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been declared covering England to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring. This follows four confirmed HPAI cases since Friday.

•⁠ As of Friday 13 November, there will also be a mandatory poultry housing order. The new measures mean bird keepers across the whole of England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep 50 or more birds or if they sell or give eggs, poultry products and live birds away. 

•⁠  ⁠Importantly for our members, there has been assurance that all previous exemptions will be kept in any Housing Order, national or regional. This includes the exemption for over-wintered breeding birds, which many keepers hold in large open-topped pens through the winter.

What this means for members

Keepers in England should review biosecurity now and be ready for housing requirements from Friday, while noting that over-wintered breeding birds in open-topped pens should remain exempt. 

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

•⁠  ⁠An AIPZ has also been declared covering Scotland. Further details can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/news/avian-influenza-prevention-zone-3/

•⁠  ⁠Wales plan to introduce an AIPZ in the coming days. Neither Wales nor Scotland intend to bring in a Housing Order at this stage.

•⁠  ⁠There have still been no wild bird findings in Wales this season (since 1 October).

•⁠  ⁠Northern Ireland is now reviewing its position and may issue biosecurity advice rather than a full AIPZ.

Wider picture

•⁠  ⁠Case numbers and wild bird findings remain relatively low and well below this time last year.

•⁠  ⁠The move appears driven by sustained pressure from the commercial poultry sector and Defra wanting to look more proactive after criticism last year for acting too late.

•⁠  ⁠All recent cases are coastal and look linked to migratory wild birds. Risk inland is likely lower for now, but will rise as those birds move away from the coast.

Please not that the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as medium where there is suboptimal or poor biosecurity, and low (event occurs very rarely) where stringent biosecurity is consistently applied at all times. This reinforces the importance of keeping biosecurity at optimum levels for all bird-keepers.