Bird flu has been confirmed on a small commercial poultry unit in West Yorkshire, only weeks after the government lifted the mandatory housing order.
Defra confirmed that a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was detected in poultry near Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, on June 11.
The farm was selling directly to the public from the farm gate, and kept around 60 chickens, 20 ducks, and five geese.
A three-kilometre protection zone and a ten-kilometre surveillance zone have been established, with Defra commenting, “All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled”.
These zones impose strict movement restrictions and enhanced biosecurity protocols for other poultry keepers in the area.
The latest case comes after the mandatory housing order for poultry and captive birds was lifted across England following the winter period. However, the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) remains firmly in place throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, with strict biosecurity measures still required on all holdings, regardless of size.
Meanwhile, at Westminster, a cross-party coalition of MPs and peers has called on the UK Government to accelerate gene-editing legislation for livestock, citing the growing global threat posed by avian flu.
The group is urging ministers to push forward with secondary legislation under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which would allow the use of gene editing in farmed animals. They argue that urgent action is needed to combat the rising prevalence of H5N1, warning that delays could increase the risk of a future pandemic on the scale of Covid-19.
Proponents say precision breeding could help develop disease-resistant flocks, reducing reliance on mass culling and enhancing the resilience of the UK poultry sector in the face of ever more frequent outbreaks.
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