Nottinghamshire areas added to high-risk bird flu prevention zones

The UK Health Security Agency has said that the risk to the public from this bird flu strain is very low. It mainly affects birds.

Feeding wild birds

You can feed wild birds but always wash your hands with soap and water afterwards. Avoid areas that have premises where poultry or captive birds are kept. Wild birds can spread bird flu to captive birds.

If you’re in an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) you cannot feed wild gamebirds within 500m of a premises with more than 500 poultry or captive birds. Check if you’re in a zone on the bird flu zone map and find out more in the guidance on rules if you keep game birds.

If you feed wild birds in your garden, read advice from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to keep feeders and water baths clean. This will help to stop bird flu and other diseases spreading between different birds.

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Do not touch or move any dead or sick wild birds – find out how to report them.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if you touch wild bird faeces or feathers. For more advice go to the NHS website.

The avian influenza prevention zone AIPZ in England with mandatory biosecurity measures remains in place.

From 00:01am on Thursday 30 October, there will be some areas of the AIPZin England where you must house your birds if you keep either:

• more than 50 birds of any species
• any number of poultry (meaning birds that are kept to give away or sell eggs, poultry products or live birds)

You will not have to house your birds if you keep less than 50 birds and their eggs or poultry products are for your own use only.

These additional housing measures will apply in the high-risk counties listed below to help protect your birds from bird flu:

• Cheshire
• Cumbria
• Derbyshire
• Durham
• East Riding of Yorkshire
• Greater Manchester
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Merseyside
• Norfolk
• North Yorkshire
• Northumberland
• Nottinghamshire
• Rutland
• Shropshire
• South Yorkshire
• Staffordshire
• Suffolk
• Tyne and Wear
• West Yorkshire

Check what zone you’re in on the bird flu disease zone map and prepare to house your birds safely.

In the declaration for the AIPZ in England you can read:

• further information on the requirements for certain types of bird
• a full list of the local authority areas – in annex 1 of the declaration