After a rapid rise in cases, parts of the south west have today (Wednesday, August 31) been declared as an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ).
The newly announced regional AIPZ includes Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Torridge District, West Devon District (B), Teignbridge District, Torbay (B), City of Plymouth (B), North Devon District, Mid Devon District, East Devon District, Exeter District (B) and Somerset and Taunton District.
At noon Defra confirmed that in the newly declared region all owners of poultry and captive birds must comply with biosecurity measures.
It means that all birds that are not housed must be kept in enclosed areas and ducks and geese should be kept separate to other birds.
Equipment, footwear and vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected and detailed records of any movement of birds and eggs must be kept.
Where there are more than 50 birds, disinfectant foot dips must be in use.
Owners of more than 500 poultry or captive birds have even more stringent rules to follow, including housing the birds in a separate part of the premises with restricted access and barrier hygiene.
The newly announced regional AIPZ includes Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Torridge District, West Devon District (B), Teignbridge District, Torbay (B), City of Plymouth (B), North Devon District, Mid Devon District, East Devon District, Exeter District (B) and Somerset and Taunton District.
The announcement comes as cases continue to rise in Devon and, earlier this week, Cornwall confirming its first case of bird flu in poultry in the latest wave of highly contagious disease.
On Monday (August 29) poultry in a premises near Constantine, Camborne and Redruth were found to have the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. All birds on the site are to be culled.
The same day a new case was found in captive wild birds near Paignton.
There are currently 12 bird flu control zones in place across the country - seven of which are in Devon, of which three are in the Cullompton area.
This latest case in Cornwall takes the number in England to 115 since last November.
The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone for poultry and captive birds, introduced across the UK to help stop the spread of bird flu was lifted on August 16, 2022.
At present, the rest of the country remains free of the measures placed on Devon, Cornwall and parts of Somerset.
All of the biosecurity measures relating to different sized flocks can be viewed here.
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