Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) updated the national position on 19 December 2025, confirming continued use of disease control zones alongside Great Britain’s Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. Housing measures apply in England and Wales and mandatory biosecurity remains in force GB‑wide.
In England, HPAI H5N1 was confirmed on 18 December in a large commercial flock near Brockworth, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. A 3km protection zone (PZ) and 10km surveillance zone (SZ) were declared and culling is under way at the affected premises.
Separately, on 19 December the protection zone around a premises near Feltwell, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, ended following completion of controls; the area now forms part of the wider surveillance zone.
Further confirmations earlier in the week included a large commercial premises near Welton, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire (14 December) and a third infected premises near Newington, Swale, Kent (13 December). Both sites are under 3km PZ and 10km SZ restrictions with culling required.
Some restrictions have been removed where surveillance was completed: SZs were revoked around premises near Uckfield, Wealden, East Sussex (17 December) and near Brandon and Honington, West Suffolk (16 December). Keepers in these areas revert to AIPZ requirements.
For the 2025 to 2026 season to date, government figures list 70 confirmed H5N1 cases across the UK: England 57, Scotland 2, Wales 7 and Northern Ireland 4. Under World Organisation for Animal Health rules, the UK is not currently free from HPAI.
England’s AIPZ was refreshed at 12:00 on 19 December 2025 through a new declaration. Housing rules in England require keepers with 50 or more birds to house them, and smaller non‑commercial flocks may remain outdoors; however, anyone selling or giving away eggs, products or live birds must house their birds as they are classed as ‘poultry’.
Wales has an all‑nation AIPZ in place from 00:01 on 13 November 2025. Welsh Ministers require minimum biosecurity for all keepers, with additional measures for premises holding 500 or more birds and specific provisions for gamebird operators, racing pigeons and birds of prey.
Bird gatherings policy has been updated. Outside disease control zones, events for psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons may proceed under a general licence, while poultry and other captive birds require a specific licence and risk‑mitigating conditions set by APHA. Prior notification rules and record‑keeping apply.
Movements of poultry, eggs, associated materials and certain mammals into, within or out of PZs and SZs are restricted. Several general licences have been refreshed, including those covering table eggs, carcasses and used litter; activities not covered require a specific licence. Operators should check the disease zone map before planning logistics.
Risk remains elevated in wildlife and controlled on farms through biosecurity. APHA assesses H5 risk in wild birds as very high; exposure risk to poultry is very high where biosecurity is suboptimal and medium (with high uncertainty) where it is consistently stringent. UKHSA continues to assess the risk to the general public as very low, and the Food Standards Agency judges the food safety risk to be very low where poultry products are properly cooked.
Influenza of avian origin is also monitored in mammals. It is notifiable in both wild and kept mammals, and veterinarians and laboratories must report suspicion or detection of influenza A virus or antibodies without delay; failure to report is an offence.
Control measures and licensing draw on established statutory instruments, including the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No. 2) Order 2006 and subsequent amendment orders, alongside preventive measures and vaccination regulations. These provide the legal basis for AIPZ declarations, movement controls and enforcement.
For commercial keepers and local authorities, the near‑term priorities are clear: maintain housing where required, document movements, verify whether general or specific licences apply to planned activities, and monitor daily flock health indicators. Defra and APHA advise routine checks of the interactive disease zone map and official case pages for changes before any movement or gathering.