Farmers across North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire woke to tighter rules this week after a run of H5N1 cases in both big poultry units and small flocks. From 6 November 2025, England brought in mandatory housing under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, meaning many keepers must bring birds indoors, ramp up cleaning and restrict access.

Defra said highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed today, 9 November, in commercial poultry near Welshpool, Powys. A 3km protection zone and wider 10km surveillance zone are in force, with part of that area crossing into England. All birds on the affected premises will be humanely culled.

On Saturday 8 November, H5N1 was confirmed near Hallow in Worcestershire. The previous day brought four large commercial cases: Feltwell and Attleborough in Norfolk, Alford in East Lindsey, and a second site near Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Each site now sits inside 3km and 10km control zones, with culling underway.

Earlier in the week, a large flock near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and a non‑commercial flock near Kirkham in Lancashire tested positive on 6 November. On 5 November, captive birds near Preesall in Wyre were confirmed and a 3km Captive Bird Monitoring Controlled Zone declared, alongside a small commercial case near Corby Glen in South Kesteven. A day earlier, a large Norfolk site near Wells‑next‑the‑Sea was confirmed, and on 3 November big commercial units near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, and Crediton, Devon were hit; captive birds near Danehill in East Sussex also triggered a 3km captive‑bird zone. A surveillance zone near Wetheral in Cumbria and a captive‑bird zone near Stockbridge, Hampshire, have since been revoked after clean testing.

Northern Ireland’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed H5N1 at commercial premises near Pomeroy, County Tyrone, and near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh, following laboratory confirmation at Weybridge. Temporary control zones there have been replaced by standard 3km protection and 10km surveillance zones.

So what does the housing order mean in practice in England? If you keep more than 50 birds of any kind, you must house them. If you keep fewer than 50 birds solely for your own use, housing is not required. If you keep fewer than 50 birds but sell or give away eggs, meat or live birds, you must house them because in law they are classed as poultry. Defra’s declaration sets out additional detail for specific species.

APHA currently assesses the risk of H5 in wild birds in Great Britain as very high. For kept birds, the risk of exposure is high where biosecurity is poor and low where strict measures are maintained at all times. UK Health Security Agency continues to advise the risk to the general public is very low, while the Food Standards Agency says properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat.

For the North’s poultry businesses, the immediate priorities are biosecurity and paperwork. Keepers inside a control zone must follow zone rules and check whether a licence is needed to move poultry, eggs, by‑products, litter or certain mammals. Expect farm vets to insist on controlled entry points, disinfectant foot dips, dedicated boots and overalls, tight vermin control and secure feed storage.

Shows and sales are tightly controlled. If you are outside a disease control zone in England, you can apply for a specific licence to hold a gathering of poultry, while gatherings of other captive birds can run under a general licence, subject to conditions. Where housing is mandatory within the AIPZ, most poultry gatherings cannot go ahead.

Vaccination is not permitted for poultry or most captive birds in England. Zoos can vaccinate eligible birds with authorisation from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate say they are monitoring vaccine development and funding research through the avian influenza vaccination taskforce.

Wildlife reporting still matters. Members of the public should not touch sick or dead wild birds and should report carcasses through official channels. Defra has published a mitigation strategy for wild birds in England and Wales to manage the impact on species, public health and the rural economy, supported by weekly reports and mapping of wild‑bird findings.

Game management and garden feeding need care. Within the AIPZ, feeding wild gamebirds is banned within 500 metres of premises holding more than 500 poultry or other captive birds. In gardens, follow British Trust for Ornithology advice to keep feeders and water baths clean and wash hands afterwards, and avoid feeding near premises that keep birds.

Avian influenza can infect mammals, both wild and kept. Influenza of avian origin is notifiable in mammals across Great Britain. Suspected infection or detection of influenza A virus or antibodies in samples from a wild or kept mammal must be reported immediately by phone on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales, or via Field Services in Scotland.

This season began early. The first H5N1 case of the 2025–26 season was confirmed on 9 October in Northern Ireland, on 11 October in England and on 25 October in Wales, with no Scottish cases so far. As of 9 November, the UK total stands at 36 confirmed cases: 28 in England, five in Wales and three in Northern Ireland.

Set against recent years, the picture is mixed. The UK recorded six HPAI cases in the 2023–24 season, 81 in 2024–25, and far higher tallies in 2021–22 and 2022–23 at 158 and 207 respectively. With peak migration now under way, officials are urging vigilance and consistent biosecurity across the sector.

For consumers, the advice is steady: the human health risk is very low and properly cooked poultry products are safe. Free‑range producers may move to temporary housing status during the order. Government has also signalled changes to poultry meat marketing regulations to help the industry trade through outbreaks.

If you keep birds in North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire or across the rural East and West, check the disease‑zone map before planning any movements, read the case listings for local restrictions and speak to your vet. Keeping yards tidy, feed covered and visitors to a minimum will help keep flocks safe as winter sets in.