The UK government has ordered all poultry in England to be kept indoors from Thursday following a rise in avian influenza cases.
Under the new rules, bird keepers across England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep more than 50, or if they sell or distribute eggs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced in a statement.
The decision follows limited restrictions introduced last week in parts of northern, central, and eastern England.
“Given the continued increase in avian influenza cases among kept and wild birds across England, we are now taking the difficult step of extending the housing measures nationwide,” said the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss.
Defra reassured the public that the risk to human health remains low and that “properly cooked” poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
According to the European animal health monitor ESA, 85 avian flu outbreaks were recorded across poultry farms in Europe between 1 August and late October, with 28 occurring in the final week of that period. Six of those outbreaks were in Britain.
In January, the UK government ordered mandatory culls within a three-kilometre (1.8-mile) radius of confirmed cases in England and introduced stricter hygiene and control measures in affected areas.
The virus spreads through droppings, saliva, or contaminated food and water.
Vaccination against bird flu remains prohibited in the UK, except for birds in zoos.