In the past three months almost 1.8 million farmed and captive birds have been culled in an attempt to combat the spread of avian flu, the BBC has reported. Avian flu, also known as bird flu, is”an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds. In rare cases, it can affect humans”, the NHS explains.
There have been 33 outbreaks of the virus on farms and as of Sunday, February 16, 2025, the government has announced the avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) housing measures will be extended to cover Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire in addition to East Riding, Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Shropshire, York and North Yorkshire.
AIPZs are an area where strict biosecurity and hygiene rules apply to protect flocks from bird flu. The government said it had acted quickly to cull all poultry on infected premises “to protect Britain’s food security”.
The risk of bird flu to humans remains low, the NHS says, stating: “You can’t catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak of bird flu.”
A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the BBC the 1.78 million birds culled since the first outbreak on November 5 was a “small proportion” of the industry’s total production, which is about 20 million birds a week.
Between October 2021 and September 2021, the beginning of the worst outbreak of bird flue, 3.2 million birds were culled.
Bird flu can be spread to humans through close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive). Close contact includes: touching infected birds, touching droppings or bedding, killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking.
The NHS warns: “Markets where live birds are sold can also be a source of bird flu. Avoid visiting these markets if you’re travelling to countries that have had an outbreak of bird flu. You can check health advice for the country you’re visiting on the TravelHealthPro website.”
The main symptoms of bird flu appear very quickly and include: “a very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery, aching muscles, headache, a cough or shortness of breath.” But other symptoms may arise, such as: “diarrhoea, sickness, stomach pain, chest pain, bleeding from the nose and gums, conjunctivitis.”
Bird flu can lead to more severe complications developing, including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. If you suspect you have bird flu, it’s vital to get treatment quickly. The NHS say using antiviral medicine may prevent complications.
In January 2025, a human case of bird flu was detected in England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “The person acquired the infection on a farm, where they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds.”
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: “The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case. We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur.
“Currently there is no evidence of onwards transmission from this case.
“People are reminded not to touch sick or dead birds and it’s important that they follow Defra advice about reporting any suspected avian influenza cases.”