The government must urgently introduce a national bird housing order to tackle the resurgent threat of avian influenza, egg and poultry producers have urged.
Defra introduced regional housing measures in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex on Wednesday for poultry and captive birds amid a growing number of fresh outbreaks.
These built on strengthened biosecurity measures, brought in as part of an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone across the region last month.
But British Poultry Council CEO Richard Griffiths warned the housing measures should be extended nationally amid the growing threat of further outbreaks across the UK and confirmation of multiple cases “on a daily basis”.
“This is now urgent and absolutely necessary,” he added, warning future poultry production could be impacted by any worsening of the situation.
A spokesman for the British Egg Industry Council said the trade body would support a nationwide housing order, adding “there is an urgent need to ensure that all possible measures are put in place to help stop the spread of Avian Influenza”.
There have been 170 reported AI outbreaks across the UK over the past year and 14 outbreaks in the Norfolk and Suffolk area alone over the past month.
These included outbreaks at Gressingham Foods farms, which has seen five in the past week – threatening its supplies of festive geese, according to a report in The Guardian last weekend.
Last winter, the UK suffered what was branded its worst-ever bird flu outbreak.
A spokesman for Defra said the government was “keeping all options under review” and pledged to “take action appropriate to the level of risk”.
The wild bird risk across Great Britain is maintained at medium, according to Defra, with the risk to poultry with stringent biosecurity maintained at low.
However, it warned the risk to poultry with poor biosecurity has been increased to medium “in light of the increased number of infected premises observed during September and the distance of some of these, as well as wild bird cases, from the coast”, and potential infection from the continent.
“We are seeing a growing number of bird flu cases on commercial farms and in backyard birds across the country driven by high levels of disease within wild birds,” said chief vet Dr Christine Middlemiss.
“Unfortunately, we expect the number of cases to continue to rise over the coming months as migratory birds return to the UK, bringing with them further risk of disease that can spread into our kept flocks,” she added.
“We’re taking action already by implementing regional Avian Influenza Prevention Zones and housing measures in the worst-affected areas, but it is important that all bird keepers – wherever they are in the country – ensure that cleanliness and hygiene are at the forefront of their minds to keep their flocks safe and limit the impact of the outbreak.”
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