Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the UK, and Europe - Gov.uk
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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Updated Outbreak Assessment #15
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the UK,
and Europe
08 February 2021 Ref: VITT/1200 HPAI in the UK and Europe
Disease Report
Since our last report (on 02 February), in the United Kingdom; there has been one new
outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 in England. There have been
two new cases of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds in England; none in Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland. According to OIE, elsewhere in Europe since 01 February, HPAI H5N8
has been reported in poultry in France (11), Germany (2), Poland (5), Russia (1) and
Ukraine (1). HPAI H5N8 in wild birds has been reported in Austria (1), Finland (1),
Germany (14), Norway (3), Poland (2) and Spain (1). HPAI H5N3 has been reported in
wild birds in Germany (1). HPAI H5N4 has been reported in wild birds in Switzerland (1).
HPAI H5N5 has been reported in wild birds in Romania (1).
1Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Situation Assessment
Table 1: Summary of confirmed outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 in poultry and captive birds
in the UK to 08 February 2021
Date HPAI
Location,
H5N8 Description Status
County
confirmed
HPAI H5N8 in Poultry
3 Near Frodsham, Broiler breeder All surveillance completed, zones
November Cheshire rearer chickens lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
10 Near Leominster, Broiler breeder All surveillance completed, zones
November Herefordshire chickens lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
23 Near Melton Poultry and captive All surveillance completed, zones
November Mowbray, birds lifted, premises remain under
Leicestershire restriction as per OIE
recommendations
29 Near Rearing turkeys All surveillance completed,
November Northallerton, zones lifted, premises remain
Hambleton, North under restriction as per OIE
Yorkshire recommendations
01 Near Rearing turkeys All surveillance completed,
December Northallerton, zones lifted, premises remain
Hambleton, North under restriction as per OIE
Yorkshire recommendations
04 Near Rearing turkeys All surveillance completed, zones
December Attleborough, lifted, premises remain under
Breckland, restriction as per OIE
Norfolk recommendations
05 Near King’s Lynn, Rearing turkeys All surveillance completed, zones
December Norfolk lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
2Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Date HPAI
Location,
H5N8 Description Status
County
confirmed
15 Near Willington, Captive birds and All surveillance completed, zones
December Derbyshire poultry lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
19 Island of Sanday, Small commercial All surveillance completed, zones
December Orkney Islands free range laying lifted, premises remain under
flock restriction as per OIE
recommendations
19 Near Gillingham, Backyard poultry All surveillance completed, zones
December North Dorset lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
20 Near Commercial duck All surveillance completed, zones
December Attleborough, premises lifted, premises remain under
Breckland, restriction as per OIE
Norfolk recommendations
28 Near Great Backyard poultry All surveillance completed, zones
December Ellingham, lifted, premises remain under
Norfolk restriction as per OIE
recommendations
28 Near Ickburgh, Commercial duck All surveillance completed, zones
December Norfolk rearing premises lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
29 Near Aylesbeare, Backyard poultry All surveillance completed, zones
December Devon lifted, premises remain under
restriction as per OIE
recommendations
06 Ballymena, Commercial layer Protection Zone lifted and
January County Antrim rearer premises replaced with Surveillance Zone
which is still in place, surveillance
ongoing
3Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Date HPAI
Location,
H5N8 Description Status
County
confirmed
12 Lisburn, County Commercial layer Protection Zone lifted and
January Antrim replaced with Surveillance Zone,
surveillance ongoing.
28 Near Amlwch, Isle Game bird rearing A Protection Zone and
January of Anglesey, premises Surveillance Zone have been put
Wales in place around the infected
premises; surveillance is ongoing
06 Near Redcar, Commercial layer A Protection Zone and
February Redcar and Surveillance Zone have been put
Cleveland in place around the infected
premises; surveillance is ongoing
HPAI H5N8 in Captive Birds
20 Near Stroud, Captive birds All surveillance and sampling on
November Gloucestershire IP completed, zones lifted. All
birds on the premises have now
tested negative twice, 21 days
apart.
13 Near Droitwich Captive birds No zones implemented
December Spa,
Worcestershire
Table 2: Summary of confirmed outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in poultry and captive birds
in the UK to 08 February 2021.
Date HPAI Location, County Description
H5N1
confirmed
18 December Near Hawes, Richmondshire, Backyard chickens
North Yorkshire
Since our last report on 02 February, there has been one new outbreak of HPAI H5N8 in
domestic poultry reported in GB; at a small commercial egg laying premises in England.
4Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
To 08 February 2021, there have been fourteen outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 in poultry
confirmed on premises in England; one outbreak confirmed on a premises in Scotland;
and one outbreak confirmed in Wales. There have also been two reports of HPAI H5N8 in
captive birds in England (Table 1), and one report of H5N1 in backyard chickens, in
England (Table 2).
Since our last report on 02 February, in Northern Ireland, there have been no new
outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 confirmed in domestic poultry or wild birds.
The total number of HPAI outbreaks in poultry and/or captive birds in the UK to 08
February is 21.
The above map shows the concentration of wild bird cases in north-western Europe, with
relatively few in southern or central Europe. To 08 February, a total of 302 HPAI cases
have been reported in wild birds in the UK (see Table 3 below), with most in England; only
a few in Scotland and Wales; and one case in NI.
For further details, please see the report (updated weekly) on findings of HPAI in wild birds
in GB at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-in-wild-birds and NI
at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/avian-influenza-ai#toc-11
5Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Table 3: Wild bird cases in England, Wales, and Scotland that have tested positive
for HPAI H5N1, H5N5, H5N8 and H5Nx to 08 February 2021. Pathogenicity testing
has not been completed for all samples as yet.
Grand
Row Labels H5N1 H5N5 H5N8 H5Nx Total
England 10 1 258 7 276
Black Swan 11 11
Brent Goose 6 6
Buzzard 3 1 4
Canada Goose 1 24 25
Great White Egret 1 1
Grey Heron 1 1
Greylag goose 8 2 10
Herring Gull 2 2
Kestrel 1 1
Lesser Black Backed Gull 1 1
Lesser Black headed Gull 1 1
Mixed Avian 1 1
Mute Swan 8 1 155 1 165
Peregrine Falcon 2 2
Pink footed goose 2 2
Shelduck 1 1
Sparrow Hawk 1 1
Unspecified 1 1
Unspecified Goose 1 1
Unspecified Swan 11 11
Whooper Swan 21 2 23
Wigeon 1 1
Common Buzzard 1 2 3
Red Kite 1 1
Wales 5 1 6
Little Grebe 1 1
Mute Swan 5 5
Scotland 17 2 19
Greylag goose 1 1
Mute Swan 7 7
Unspecified Swan 4 4
Whooper Swan 4 4
Knot 1 1
Red Knot 1 1 2
Northern Ireland 1
Peregrine Falcon
Grand Total 10 6 276 9 302
6Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
HPAI in Europe since 01 February 2021
Table 4: Current outbreaks of HPAI H5 in domestic poultry and cases in wild birds
(since 01 February), in Europe, excluding the UK, according to OIE reporting. Please
note that this is a rapidly changing picture, with new disease reports being made to the
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on a regular basis.
H5N3 H5N4 H5N5 H5N8
Country Total
Wild Wild Wild Wild
Poultry
Birds Birds Birds Birds
Austria 1 1
Finland 1 1
France 11 11
Germany 1 2 14 17
Norway 3 3
Poland 5 2 7
Romania 1 1
Russia 1 1
Spain 1 1
Switzerland 1 1
Ukraine 1 1
Total 1 1 1 20 22 45
7Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Since 01 February, Austria has reported one case of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds; its first
report in the current epizootic. This was in the state of Lower Austria and the species
affected was a Mute Swan (Cygnus olor).
Finland has reported one case of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds. This was in the region of
Uusimaa and the species affected was a hunted Common Pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus).
France has reported 11 outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 in poultry. Six were in the department of
Landes in the south-west of France, and five of these were among foie gras producing
duck farms. The other outbreaks were in the departments of Ardennes, Gers, Hautes-
Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Germany has reported two outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 in poultry. Both were in commercial
premises of fattening turkeys: one in Brandenburg (14,332 birds), and the other in
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (19,479 birds). There were also 14 reported cases of
HPAI H5N8 in wild birds. These were in the states Schleswig-Holstein (9), Mecklenburg-
Western Pomerania (4) and Berlin (1). Affected wild birds included: Accipitridae, Anatidae,
Anserinae, Charadriidae, Gull, Phasianidae and Swan (all of which were unspeciated).
There was also one case of HPAI H5N3 reported in Schleswig-Holstein (an unspeciated
Charadriidae).
Norway has reported three cases of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds. These were in the county of
Vestland and the species affected were Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). All had been found
dead.
Poland has reported five outbreaks of HPAI H5N8 in poultry. Outbreaks were in the
provinces of Kujawy-Pomerania (breeding chickens), Lodz (turkeys), Warmia-Mazury
(turkeys), and Greater Poland (turkeys and ducks). There were also two cases of HPAI
H5N8 in wild birds. One was in the province of Warmia-Mazury and the affected species
was a Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). The other was in Greater Poland, and the affected
species was a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).
Romania has reported one case of HPAI H5N5 in wild birds. This was in the region of
Constanța and the affected species was a Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus).
Russia has reported one outbreak of HPAI H5N8 in poultry. This was in the province of
Rostov and the premises was a large turkey farm (213,881 birds).
Spain has reported one case of HPAI H5N8 in wild birds. This was in a natural park in the
autonomous community of Castile and León. The affected species was a Greylag Goose
(Anser anser).
8Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
Switzerland has reported one case of HPAI H5N4 in wild birds. This was in the canton of
Schaffhausen and the species affected was a Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis).
Ukraine has reported one outbreak of HPAI H5N8 in poultry. This was in the province of
Donetsk and the premises was a goose farm.
Implications for the UK
The detection of four HPAI H5 subtypes in the same epidemic event is unparalleled in the
UK. All these viruses are genetically closely related through their H5 haemagglutinin gene,
which is the key viral gene influencing pathogenesis, host range, transmission, and host
immunity. Continued virus change by genetic reassortment in wild birds is not unexpected,
and further genetic variation at genome level may be expected as the epidemic
progresses. Surveillance within the disease control zones continues, and results of
investigations will be published in a comprehensive epidemiological report.
The migration season for wild waterfowl to overwinter in the UK has by and large ended,
as numbers are usually expected to peak in December and January, depending on the
species and the weather conditions in Continental Europe. A large population of migratory
waterfowl are still present however, and will not be leaving the UK until March/April.
Moreover, the higher survival rate of the virus in the environment during winter means the
risk of environmental transmission remains, and hence the continued risk of secondary
spread into indigenous UK wild bird species. Higher environmental temperatures, together
with increasing sunlight intensities, will reduce environmental levels of HPAI virus and its
associated risks in the spring.
Monitoring weekly trends in disease reporting over the next few weeks is important with
regard to the emergence of a second peak of disease in the UK and Europe, which
occurred at this time of year in the 2016/17 H5N8 epizootic. The current cold spell in north-
west Europe could drive more birds particularly into Eastern England with the easterly
winds from the Netherlands/Denmark. Therefore, the level of wild bird cases of HPAI in
northern Europe is still of interest to the UK.
The data (to 8 Feb 2021) on the EU Reference Lab website (IZSVe, 2021), show levels in
wild birds in Europe at 30 to 40 cases per day for the first six week of 2021, with levels
slightly declining over the last three weeks. This is down from the peak of 160 cases per
day in late November. The “second peak” in wild birds in Europe does not appear to be
significant, unlike that in 2017 when wild bird cases increased by almost 900 between 9
January and 28 February 2017.
Furthermore, the bird species moving westward to escape the cold weather may not be
usual waterfowl species associated with HPAI. For example, the British Birds twitter feed
reported, on 08 February 2021, that there has been a major February movement of
Woodcock across the North Sea, with birds trying to escape from Scandinavia/Europe,
and some 20 dead woodcock washed up on the tide line at Filey Bird Observatory on the
9Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
East coast of England. Several dead migratory passerines were also reported (British
Birds, 2021). However, it is concluded the extra birds coming into Eastern England present
little additional risk to the levels of migratory birds already in the UK.
Following confirmation of cases of both HPAI H5N8 and H5N1, and low pathogenicity
avian influenza (LPAI) H5N2, in poultry, the UK is no longer free from notifiable avian
influenza under the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) rules.
Where disease is confirmed, measures are put in place in accordance with Council
Directive 2005/94/EC. The EU will put safeguard measures in place, meaning that no trade
with the EU in live poultry or poultry products will be permitted from disease control zones.
Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low from all three
HPAI strains detected and characterised to date (H5N8, H5N5, H5N1), and the Food
Standards Agency has said that avian influenza does not pose a food safety risk for UK
consumers.
International Trade
All outbreaks have been reported to the OIE to provide the necessary transparency
required for maintaining international trade. Although the UK has temporarily lost its OIE
country freedom status from HPAI, it is applying effective regionalisation as well as
compartmentalisation, in order to maintain safe trade from unaffected populations of high
value, and high biosecurity, commercial poultry. This is supported by the ongoing
surveillance, as well as the safeguards applied via the APHA Centre for International
Trade, and the rigorous and standardised certification process by Official Veterinarians.
Conclusion
The risk of HPAI incursion in wild birds in GB remains VERY HIGH. The overall risk of
exposure of poultry in GB remains MEDIUM (with stringent biosecurity) TO HIGH (where
biosecurity is not adequate).
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone is in place in England, Scotland and Wales and the
UK Chief Veterinary Officer, alongside the CVOs from Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland are urging bird keepers across the UK to take additional biosecurity measures; in
order to prevent further outbreaks of avian influenza in the UK.
It is a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict
biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease. These
housing measures build on the strengthened biosecurity regulations that were brought in
as part of the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) on 11 November 2020.
If you keep poultry (including game birds or as pets), you should follow our biosecurity best
practice advice, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-
10Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
bird-flu#biosecurity-advice Remain vigilant for any signs of disease in your flock and
report any sign of avian influenza to Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301.
Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu
including updated biosecurity advice for poultry keepers for England;
https://gov.wales/avian-influenza for Wales and; http://gov.scot/avianinfluenza for
Scotland.
The OIE/FAO International Reference Laboratory/UK National Reference Laboratory at
Weybridge has the necessary ongoing proven diagnostic capability for these strains of
virus, whether low or high pathogenicity AI, and continually monitors changes in the virus.
We will continue to report on any updates on the situation in Europe and, in particular, any
changes in disease distribution or wild bird movements which may increase the risk to the
UK.
We ask that the public use the Defra helpline (Tel: 03459 33 55 77) to report findings of
any dead wild birds. In particular, any wild ducks, wild geese, swans, gulls, or birds of
prey.
Authors
Anthony Pacey
Dr Paul Gale
Dr Francesca Gauntlett
References
All outbreaks and cases were taken from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Please
note that changes in format and level of detail are due to the change of data source for this report,
from EU’s Animal Disease Notification System (ADNS) to World Organisation for Animal Health
(OIE).
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/avian-influenza-ai
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#trade-import-and-export-issues
IZSVe (2021). https://www.izsvenezie.com/reference-laboratories/avian-influenza-
newcastle-disease/europe-update/
British Birds (accessed 08 February 2021). https://twitter.com/britishbirds
11Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Advice Services Team - International Disease Monitoring
© Crown copyright 2021
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PSI@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-
diseases-international-monitoring
Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at iadm@defra.gov.uk
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