New outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been documented on two farms in Wales, urging rapid action from animal health authorities.
The disease was detected on June 24 at a commercially available pheasant farm near Wrexham and on June 23 in 120-tier hens in Haverford West, Pembrokeshire.
A 3km conservation zone and a wider 10km surveillance zone have been declared around the affected facilities, with some of the surveillance areas spreading across the border to the UK.
All birds on both sites will be humanely culled to prevent further spread of the disease, the government has confirmed.
The fresh outbreak comes days after a significant case at a commercial poultry farm in North Yorkshire led to culling 75,000 egg-laying hens.
The incident, identified near the village of Linton-on-User, was confirmed on Friday, June 20th.
Earlier this month, further outbreaks were reported on backyard herds in Durham County and small poultry farms in West Yorkshire, highlighting the continued risks the virus poses to both commercial and domestic herds.
These incidents add to the long-term wave of avian flu outbreaks across the UK that began in late 2021.
The winter season of 2024/25 was particularly severe, with hundreds of thousands of birds culling after the confirmed infection.
Experts have warned that H5N1 is no longer confined to colder months, increasing the number of cases detected all year round.
The persistence of viruses in wild bird populations, particularly migratory birds, is considered to be a key factor in their continued spread.
Last month, mandatory housing order for poultry and breeding birds was lifted, but strict biosecurity measures have been enforced under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the UK, Scotland and Wales.
In response to the global rise in avian flu cases, lawmakers and fellow cross-party groups have recently called on the government for rapid legislation that will allow for the use of gene editing in livestock.
The group is urging the rapid implementation of secondary laws under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to support future UK agriculture against the threat of animal diseases such as avian influenza.
