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Vets urge vigilance as poultry restrictions lift
"This will be welcome news for bird keepers across the country who have put great effort into keeping their flocks safe this winter."
The risk of avian influenza in poultry with good biosecurity has been reduced to ‘low’. 

The UK’s chief veterinary officers have urged vigilance following the relaxation of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) on Saturday (15 May).

The AIPZ was first introduced in November 2020 to protect flocks against the disease circulating in wild birds. Under the AIPZ, keepers with 500 birds or more were required to restrict access to all non-essential people on their sites and maintain strict hygiene and biosecurity measures.

Over the weekend, the APHA lowered the risk of avian influenza in poultry with good biosecurity to ‘low’. Therefore the mandatory requirements introduced as part of the AIPZ - and the additional biosecurity measures introduced on 31 March - have been lifted.

In a joint statement, the Chief Veterinary Officers from England, Scotland and Wales appealed to keepers to stay vigilant for any signs of disease in their birds and seek advice from their vet if they have any concerns.

“This will be welcome news for bird keepers across the country who have put great effort into keeping their flocks safe this winter,” they said.

“We have taken swift action to contain and eliminate this disease, and we urge all bird keepers – whether they have just a few birds or thousands – to 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. Low risk does not mean no risk.”

A ban on poultry and bird gatherings has also been lifted, including pigeon gatherings organised for races from mainland Europe. Organisers must notify the APHA a minimum of seven days before the event and comply with the provisions of the new General Licence. 

The government has advised that risk to human health from the H5N8 virus strain is low and from the H5N2, H5N5 and H5N1 virus strains is very low. Food standards bodies also stress that the disease poses little risk for UK consumers and does not affect the consumption of poultry products.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

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News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."