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Compulsory poultry housing restrictions lifted
The risk of avian influenza with good bisecurity has been reduced to 'low'.
Birds keepers must maintain strict biosecurity measures on their premises.

Compulsory housing measures for poultry and captive birds were lifted on Thursday (31 March), but biosecurity measures will remain in place ‘until further notice’, the UK’s chief veterinary officers have confirmed.

First introduced in December to prevent the spread of avian influenza, the housing measures followed several confirmed cases of the disease in England. The most recent was a case of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu in captive birds near Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, on 31 March 2021.

Defra stressed that while the risk of avian flu in poultry with good biosecurity has reduced to ‘low’, it remains at ‘medium’ where there is poor biosecurity. As such, bird keepers are being urged to maintain enhanced biosecurity requirements, introduced as part of the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) on 11 November. 

Extra precautions, such as cleaning and disinfecting equipment and limiting access to non-essential people on site, are also being encouraged. 

In a joint statement, Great Britain’s three Chief Veterinary Officers said: “This will be welcome news for poultry keepers across the country who have put great effort into keeping their flocks safe this winter.

“We have taken swift action to contain and eliminate this disease and all bird keepers - whether they have just a few birds or thousands - must continue to do their bit to maintain strict biosecurity measures on their premises so that we do not lose the progress that we have made over the past few months as Low risk does not mean No Risk.”

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FIVP announces third series of Practice Matters

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary practices (FIVP) has announced a third season of its podcast, Practice Matters.

Hosted by Ian Wolstenholme, series three will focus on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation, including a discussion about some of the expected impacts on independent veterinary colleagues.

Episode one launches on 13th January with guests Drs David Reader and Scott Summers, who will draw on their research into the CMA investigation and provide insights into themes such as transparency, pricing and consumer trust.

Ian Wolstenholme said: "In its third series, we will try and hone in on what the changes will mean in reality for independent practices with advice and guidance on implementation and delivery, drawing on the experience of our own team and other experts in the profession. Hope you can join us soon!" 

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News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk