Category: Avian Influenza

Last night I sent a quick message for friends at the Salisbury Poultry Club. I said that I feared that the avian influenza situation is likely to get worse earlier this year in the run up to Christmas.

In my opinion, it appears that there is nowhere in the UK that is not at risk of having the avian influenza virus in the wild bird population. This means that outdoor poultry are at risk.

Today, APHA have sent out a text message saying the risk of bird flu is rising and that extra biosecurity measures are in place for keepers of gamebirds.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/heightened-avian-influenza-risk-warning-issued-to-bird-keepers-and-gamebird-rearers

If you have chickens and pigeons and you will need to keep these extra records.

Please remember that fellow fanciers will already have been caught up in control zones through no fault of their own and had their racing season ruined.

I am afraid this is the new normal. Please check that you are not in a control zone before bringing your pigeons to a marking station. Should it be found that a fancier has entered a race whilst under control zone restrictions. I fear that would be the end of pigeon racing both inland and across the channel.

Click here to go to the APHA interactive map.

Good news and a first perhaps that has been reported. Just because it looks like ‘Flu does not mean that it is unless the appropriate tests are done. A lesson for all of us.

Revocation of the avian influenza Temporary Control near Woodbridge, East Suffolk, Suffolk (SOS AIV 2025/03) at 11:50 on 10 August 2025, thereby ending the measures imposed in the 3 kilometre temporary control zone (Area A) and the 10 kilometre temporary control zone (Area B).

Any fanciers in this area can now race and share training.

LPAI – H5N3 – from 19:00 on 9 August 2025

This declaration revokes and replaces the 1km Temporary Control Zone centred on grid
reference SH4689987876 that was declared at 18:30 on 8 August 2025

Confirmed cases

Control Zone	HPAI 3 & 10km Zones
Town	Lifton – 09/08/25
Confirmed No.	AIV 2025/59
Strain	H5N1

Control Zone	HPAI 3 & 10km Zones
Town	Seaton – 09/08/25
Confirmed No.	AIV 2025/58
Strain	H5N1

Control Zone	3km & 10Km Temporary Control Zones
Town	Woodbridge
Confirmed No.	AIV SOS 2025/03
Strain

Seaton

Lifton

Woodbridge

Control Zones – 19:45 on 30 July 2025
Control Zone HPAI 3 and 10km Zones
Town Tiverton
Confirmed No. AIV 2025/52
Strain H5N1

Control Zones – 17.45 on 31 July 2025
Control Zone 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone
Town Yeovil
Confirmed No. AIV 2025/54
Strain H5N1

Control Zones – 19:45 on 30 July 2025
Control Zone HPAI 3 and 10km Zones
Town Attleborough
Confirmed No. AIV 2025/53
Strain H5N1

Control Zones – 21.45 on 6 August 2025
Control Zone HPAI 3 and 10km Zones
Town Attleborough
Confirmed No. AIV 2025/56
Strain H5N1

Outbreaks England and Wales 07/08/25

Tiverton

Yeovil

Attleborough 1 and 2

If anyone thought that everything we have to do to race pigeons from France was simply a tick box exercise, think again. I received the following from APHA:-

Failure to comply is not an option. Those that can race should be really grateful to those with lofts in Avian Influenza zones who have to forego entering the race.

Thank you to all fanciers affected by these zones. Your compliance with the restrictions means that racing can continue; albeit with a lower birdage.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises near Glyn Ceiriog, Wrexham.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been put in place around the premises. Please check GOV.WALES for the latest information. The SZ for this case extends into Shropshire, England.

Confirmed H5N1 centred on Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. 3Km Protection Zone and 10Km, Surveillance zone in place. More details to follow when they are published.

As of 15:05 – 21/06/2025

If you have a loft in any of the zones for the areas listed below. You cannot race your pigeons and must not enter any races.

To check whether your loft is in or out of a zone use the Defra interactive map and enter your postcode in the search bar top left, click on this link https://bit.ly/Defra_AI_map

AIV 2025/45 Ravensthorpe

 Declaration of a Protection Zone and a Surveillance Zone (H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) – near Ravensthorpe, Kirklees, West Yorkshire (AIV 2025/45)

Link to document which will open in a new window –

AIV 2025/46 Stanhope H5N1

 Declaration of a Protection Zone and a Surveillance Zone (H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) – near Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, County Durham (AIV 2025/46)

Link to document which will open in a new window –

AIV 2025/47 Linton-on-Ouse H5N1

Declaration of a Protection Zone and a Surveillance Zone (H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) – near Linton-on-Ouse, Wetherby and Easingwold, North Yorkshire (AIV 2025/47)

Link to document which will open in a new window –