England will require poultry and other captive birds to be housed across the country from 00:01 on Thursday 6 November 2025, after fresh H5N1 confirmations pushed the season’s total to 24 UK cases, including a new outbreak near Wells‑next‑the‑Sea, North Norfolk. The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone remains in force across Great Britain, with tightened biosecurity for all keepers. Defra says the move is needed to bring infection rates down during peak migration.

The housing rule applies in England to anyone keeping more than 50 birds of any species, and to any number of poultry kept for sale or giveaway. Small flocks under 50 birds kept solely for personal use are not required to house, but all keepers must follow AIPZ biosecurity measures such as thorough cleansing and disinfection and controlling access to feed and housing.

Case confirmations over the past week have spanned large commercial sites near Thirsk (North Yorkshire), Crediton (Devon), Honington (Suffolk), Donington and Swineshead (Lincolnshire), Ormesby St Margaret (Norfolk), and Uckfield and Danehill (East Sussex), with 3km protection and 10km surveillance zones set around each premises and humane culling under way. The UK is no longer considered free from HPAI under World Organisation for Animal Health rules.

Officials assess the risk of H5 in wild birds as very high. For kept birds, exposure risk is high where biosecurity is weak and low where it is consistently strong. UKHSA continues to judge the public‑health risk as very low, and the Food Standards Agency says properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat.

For farm teams, the next 72 hours are about tightening routines. Defra guidance stresses keeping feed and bedding indoors, disinfecting footwear and hard surfaces, maintaining footbaths, fixing gaps in sheds, and controlling rodents. Where birds are later allowed outside, ranges should be decontaminated and standing water covered; virus can remain infectious in faeces, feathers and carcases for around 50 days, longer in wet conditions. Use Defra‑approved disinfectants.

Wild bird surveillance is central this season. APHA’s weekly reports track lab‑confirmed positives in free‑living birds, and an interactive map and dashboard show reported mortality and confirmed findings across Great Britain. Land managers and councils can use the government’s mitigation strategy to reduce impacts on priority species while protecting public health and the rural economy. Members of the public should report dead wild birds via GOV.UK and avoid handling them.

Back‑garden feeding remains popular, but hygiene matters. The British Trust for Ornithology advises cleaning feeders regularly, refreshing water daily and moving feeding stations to prevent waste build‑up. Garden Wildlife Health echoes the advice and asks people to pause feeding if they observe signs of disease and to report small clusters of garden bird deaths; Defra continues to warn against feeding near premises that keep poultry.

Avian influenza viruses can infect some mammals. The government monitors findings in wild and captive mammals and requires vets to report suspected influenza of avian origin in mammals. The cross‑government HAIRS group rates the risk to the general public from mammal infections as very low, and low for those with occupational exposure, with limited evidence of mammal‑to‑mammal spread in the wild.

There is no routine poultry vaccination in England; only zoos can apply for authorisation from APHA under strict criteria. Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate continue to track vaccine development while focusing on biosecurity, movement controls and rapid culling to break chains of transmission.

To steady the market during prolonged housing, ministers have moved to allow free‑range poultry meat to retain its label during housing periods, aiming to cut costs and maintain consumer confidence while AIPZ measures are in place. The nationwide housing order will be kept under review; in the meantime, keepers and councils can monitor local restrictions using the official disease‑zone map and APHA dashboards.