PROTECTION measures have been lifted on Exmoor after three outbreaks of avian influenza (H5N1) in premises near Winsford, Minehead, and Bampton.

However, UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss has issued a mandatory housing order to cover the whole of England from Thursday (November 6), as the number of confirmations across the country of avian influenza in kept and wild birds continues to escalate.

The new measures mean people who keep more than 50 birds must house all poultry and captive birds, except in specific circumstances, such as some zoos or if they sell or give eggs away.

Ms Middlemiss said: “I appreciate the impact these measures have on industry and am extremely grateful for the continued co-operation of the poultry sector.

“We know from previous years, housing birds will bring the rates of infection down from the high we are currently experiencing.”

The Animal Plant and Health Agency imposed a two-mile radius ‘protection zone’ and a six-mile ‘surveillance zone’ around each Exmoor property when the cases were confirmed in the summer.

The Winsford incident involved a game shoot and saw about about 2,500 nine-weeks-old pheasant chicks euthanised, while poultry were humanely destroyed on the site near Minehead, and the Bampton commercial poultry business.

Mandatory biosecurity measures were put in place at all three premises to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, which is described as the Covid of the poultry industry.

The outbreaks were declared toward the end of July, causing particular concern because it was high summer, when the bird flu virus was generally thought to be an issue from October onward.

It was also the start of the game bird release season when pheasants bred for shooting were being let out of their pens.

Now, the protection and surveillance zones have been lifted following the successful completion of disease control activities.