Avian Flu (bird flu)

What is avian flu

Avian flu, or bird flu, affects poultry and wild birds. As with other viruses, there are lots of different strains, most of which cause no or few signs of disease in infected wild birds. By contrast, the current outbreak is of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which can cause severe disease and high mortality. This current strain has been devastating our wild bird populations in the UK since November 2021. It originated in poultry operations in China in 1996.

How bird flu is transmitted

Bird flu mostly spreads from bird to bird through direct or indirect contact with infected saliva, nasal secretions or droppings, as well as through predation. There are several ways by which the disease is spread, including by contaminated poultry, their excretions and secretions and contaminated objects. Once established in wild birds it can spread around the world as birds migrate across continents. 

Recent outbreaks of bird flu

The most recent series of bird flu outbreaks is unprecedented – the largest ever in the UK and worldwide – and has killed tens of thousands of birds in the UK alone. 

The first signs came when Great Skuas were dying across islands in Scotland in summer 2021. Then in winter 2021/22 on the Solway Firth, bird flu killed a third of the Svalbard breeding population of Barnacle Geese – at least 13,200 birds. In winter 2022/23, we saw large losses of up to 5,000 Greenland Barnacle Geese on Islay, as well as hundreds of deaths among swans, gulls and other geese species. We’ve also seen significant numbers of birds of prey testing positive for the virus. 

In spring/summer 2023, we first saw impacts in Black-headed Gulls across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 30,000 suspected of having died from the virus; that’s 10% of the UK’s breeding population. By the end of June, we were seeing outbreaks in Scotland too and since then the species hardest hit across the UK are Kittiwakes, Guillemots and terns. Thousands of birds have been washing up on coasts from the East of Scotland to Pembrokeshire. At least 4,500 birds have already died across RSPB reserves this year.

So far, at least 70 UK bird species have tested positive for avian flu, including 21 of our 25 regularly breeding seabird species, as well as geese, ducks, swans and raptor species such as Peregrine Falcon, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle.

Impact of bird flu on seabirds

The UK hosts internationally important breeding seabird populations. The most affected by bird flu in 2022 were Great Skuas and Northern Gannets. More than 2,200 Great Skua deaths (11% of the UK and 7% of the world population) were reported to NatureScot and thousands of dead Gannets were recorded at our reserves.

Also in 2022, just over a quarter of the breeding population of Roseate Terns died on Coquet Island off the Northumberland coast, the only breeding colony for this rare bird in the UK and the Netherlands lost 80% of its breeding Sandwich Tern population. We won’t know the full impacts on seabirds until colonies are recounted in 2023, but since March 2023 we’ve been seeing devastating impacts on Black-headed Gulls across the UK and more recently we’re seeing thousands of Kittiwakes, Guillemots and terns succumbing to the disease.

Seabirds are already under massive pressure from climate change, lack of prey fish, deaths through entanglement in fishing gear, predation by non-native invasive species on islands where they nest and developments along our coasts.   

The impact of avian flu could hit them particularly hard as seabirds are long-lived and take several years to reach breeding age, rearing only one or two chicks a year. This means that any recovery from the disease will take far longer. 

How To combat Bird Flu

You can find the latest situation on newly reported cases and guidance on the Government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#latest-situation.  

Bird Flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive), and can be contracted by touching infected birds; touching droppings or bedding and killing infected poultry for cooking. 

You cannot catch bird flu through eating infected poultry or eggs if they have been thoroughly cooked. 

If you keep poultry, whether in your garden or commercially on a farm, it is important that you keep a close eye on them; maintain good bio security.  During the winter months there is a higher risk of contamination from migrating wild birds, so it is particularly important to watch out for any symptoms in your birds.

Bird flu is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect any type of bird flu in poultry you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.

Good biosecurity improves the overall health and productivity of your flock by helping keep out poultry diseases such as avian influenza and limiting the spread of disease in an outbreak.

This applies just as much if you only have a few birds as pets, or if you have a large commercial flock. An outbreak of bird flu in back garden chickens results in the same restrictions on movement of birds. It has the same effect on farmers and trade in poultry as an outbreak on a commercial farm.

To ensure good biosecurity, all poultry keepers should:

• minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures
• clean footwear before and after visiting birds, using a Defra approved disinfectant at entrances and exits
• clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment that have come into contact with poultry
• keep areas where birds live clean and tidy, and regularly disinfect hard surfaces such as paths and walkways
• humanely control rats and mice
• place birds’ food and water in fully enclosed areas protected from wild birds, and remove any spilled feed regularly
• avoid keeping ducks and geese with other poultry species, where possible
• keep birds separate from wildlife and wild waterfowl by putting suitable fencing around outdoor areas they access
• keep a close watch on birds for any signs of disease and report any very sick birds or unexplained deaths to your vet

Biosecurity is the prevention of disease causing agents entering or leaving any place where they can pose a risk to farm animals, other animals, humans, or the safety and quality of a food product.

Good biosecurity should be practised at all times, not just during a disease outbreak. Taking the right measures in the early stages of an outbreak e.g. before we know disease is in the country, can help prevent or reduce its spread.

In terms of chemicals we provide to help with good preventative and chemicals that will help during an outbreak, you can find them here. All chemicals we supply in this section are DEFRA approved.

Omnicide is a great all rounder, and is effective in very small amounts against a broad spectrum of viruses including Bird Flu, Swine Disease etc. We also offer Fam 30 which is another highly effective chemical and GCP8 and Vanodox. We regularly stock all four of these chemicals, so if you have an outbreak you can contact us for 24 hour delivery, or just use a good Bio Security Chemical as part of your Bio Security Practices.

DEFRA and the UK government are basically recommending common sense actions to ensure you and your family are kept safe and well.  Wash your hands well and often with any soap and water, or you could get an anti-microbial soap which will kill the virus for certain – such as GOJO ANTI-MICROBIAL SOAP, or WHITE BACTERICIDAL SOAP. It might be useful to have a read over my Soap without sanitisers and soap with sanitisers blog again to refresh your memory.

For those of us out there who don’t keep birds as pets or commercially farm birds, we remain at a very low risk, and contraction of bird flu is very rare. For those who do keep birds for commercial farming and or as pets, good bio security is essential, make sure you wash your boots, protect your birds when they are outside, disinfect your vehicles, take extra precautions by wearing PPE (googles, gloves, aprons)  when dealing with a suspicious bird death, and use your common sense.  

Separate your bird species, and I can’t stress this enough make sure your bio security is up to the job if Bird Flu is transmitted to your area and you are keeping birds in a high risk area.  It is better to set up protocol and get everyone following it, when you are not under pressure and when your flock is not at risk that to try and set up protocol when tensions are high and everyone is stressed.  Lay the foundations now, to keep your flock safe.  

Omnicide Applications