Forty-eight million birds have been killed in the UK and the EU in the past year due to the most significant avian flu outbreak ever.

A total of 3.2 million birds were killed in the UK due to 161 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) found in poultry and captive birds.

Those cases were down from the previous high of 26 in 2020–21.

According to the UK government, the culled birds, or around 20 million birds each week, were a “small proportion” of the entire production.

In 406 locations and 59 different bird species, there have also been 1,727 cases of avian flu in the wild bird population in the UK.

Last Monday, sections of Essex and all of Norfolk and Suffolk were added to the list of regions under an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ).

“Vigilance required,”

Dr Christine Middlemiss, the chief veterinary officer for the UK, claimed that the high prevalence of the disease in wild birds was what was causing the rise in cases on industrial farms.

She said that as migratory birds return to the UK and carry an additional risk of disease that can spread into our kept flocks, “unfortunately, we expect the number of cases to continue to climb over the coming months.”

The British Poultry Council’s chief executive, Richard Griffiths, described it as the “most problematic bird flu season to date.”

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the EU Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza released the most recent bird flu statistics for Europe and the United Kingdom on Monday. These statistics track outbreaks from October 2021 to September 9, covering both continents.

More than 2,600 outbreaks in poultry and captive birds up until September 9 resulted in the total culling of 47.7 million birds.

The report also revealed that 3,573 wild bird cases had been reported, with the virus affecting 37 nations as it moved from Svalbard to south Portugal and eastward to Ukraine. But it did issue a warning that the number might be too low.

Although no cases of human transmission have been documented in the EU, there was one incidence in southwest England in January.

However, the ECDC’s director, Andrea Ammon, cautioned that those who work in agriculture and the animal industry still face an “increased risk of exposure” and urged companies to strengthen biosecurity and health and safety procedures.

She continued, “Vigilance is required to detect influenza virus infections as early as feasible and to inform risk assessments and public health action.

Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network