Avian Influenza

(asked on 31st October 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of avian flu in the UK.


Answered by
Mark Spencer Portrait
Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 11th November 2022

Defra's avian influenza disease control measures aim to minimise the economic burden of the outbreak on the food, farming and tourism industries and the wider economy, whilst protecting public health. All decisions regarding the disease and prevention control measures are based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific veterinary and ornithological advice. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) outbreak and risk assessments are published and available on GOV.UK through the 'Animal diseases: international and UK monitoring' collection and include assessments covering the poultry and gamebird sectors in addition to wild birds. In summary, the risk of incursion of highly pathogenic (HPAI) avian influenza H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is currently assessed as very high (i.e. event occurs almost certainly). The risk to poultry with stringent biosecurity is currently assessed as medium (i.e. event occurs regularly) (with high uncertainty). However, the risk to poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain with suboptimal biosecurity is assessed as high (i.e. event occurs very often) (with low uncertainty).

In addition, Defra in collaboration with the Devolved Administration host regular avian influenza stakeholder meetings attended by organisations representing the breadth of the bird keeping sector including commercial, small scale, pet and specialist bird keepers, together with ornithological, veterinary, wildlife rehabilitation sector representatives. Expert advice is also sought by the UKs Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) and animal health policy officials through the Ornithology National Experts Group (NEG) and Great Britain Avian Exotic Disease Core Group which include representatives from across the bird keeping sector.

Reticulating Splines