Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in UK Seabirds

Bird Flu (HPAI H5N1) is circulating in wild birds, especially breeding seabirds around our coasts and has caused significant mortality in some species, such as Great Skua and Gannet. It’s likely that the current outbreak will continue into the autumn and as migratory waterbirds return to the UK, we will probably see localised outbreaks in some of these species too. HPAI is a significant cause of concern for the conservation of wild birds.

The primary means of HPAI transmission in wild birds is through saliva and nasal secretions (for example through display rituals, preening, fighting, feeding of chicks, etc.). HPAI can also be transmitted by predation of sick birds; from faeces/guano in and around nests and on resting areas close to nests; and possibly via shared freshwater bathing areas. Transmission via consumption of dead birds by scavengers is, however, thought to be very low. HPAI is known to persist in the environment for short periods but is destroyed by high temperatures and UV exposure. Avian influenza is not an air-borne disease.

Monitoring the numbers of dead seabirds and their species will help guide decisions on where to conduct future monitoring of breeding birds, which is the most robust way to determine the impacts of HPAI on the status of our seabird populations. The statutory nature conservation bodies in each country are collating seabird mortality data from professional survey, skilled volunteers and nature reserve staff, including those of non-government organisations, and to ensure that only high-quality data are collected there will be no open call for data from the public for these species.

Working groups have been established in each country of the UK, bringing together government officials, expert advisers on animal disease, public health and nature conservation, non-government organisations and researchers, to discuss and take actions to understand and attempt to limit the spread of the disease, but few measures exist.   

In Scotland, the Scottish Government and NatureScot established working groups that have now become the Scottish Avian Influenza Task Force (chaired by NatureScot) and the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee AI sub-group. NatureScot has issued guidance and restricted activities in some seabird colonies to reduce disturbance.

The Defra Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) has led on stakeholder discussion in England through several different, long-established groups covering kept bird health, rehabilitation of wild animals, and wild birds. It has also sought expertise from the Ornithology Experts Panel, established in 2004/5 soon after HPAI first arrived in the UK.

In both Wales and Northern Ireland, the government departments have also held regular working group meetings in preparation for, and then to inform management of, the specific issues emerging in the relatively localised outbreaks in these countries.

JNCC has, when relevant at UK scale, contributed to these working groups and will help support them in understanding the impact of HPAI through the national monitoring schemes and our partnerships with BTO and RSPB. We will assess how the BTO/JNCC Seabird Monitoring Programme can cover novel areas in the 2023 breeding season where we think HPAI has impacted numbers and identify areas where it cannot and where additional surveys will be useful, such as remote colonies. Working with a wide range of organisations, we will also build on the Seabird Group’s HPAI workshop, in late August, to explore research needs for HPAI in wild birds.

As migratory waterbirds return to the UK this autumn, attention will inevitably turn to these species, some of which we know to be especially vulnerable to HPAI. Waterbirds present different challenges from seabirds and the working groups will need to consider specific aspects relating to monitoring and management if we see a new surge in HPAI cases.

It remains important to ensure that reports of dead birds that might be victims of HPAI continue to be made to the Defra Helpline (DAERA in Northern Ireland and Crown Dependency governments) so that HPAI can be tested for in accordance with the Defra protocol.

The current reporting thresholds in Scotland, England, and Wales, are that if you find one or more dead bird of prey or owl, three or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese and ducks), or five or more dead birds of any species, you should report them to the Defra helpline (03459 335577).

Defra will then collect a sample of these birds and test them to determine how the disease is distributed geographically and in which species; not all birds will be collected. Wild birds are susceptible to a range of diseases and injuries and not all dead birds will have been infected with avian influenza.

In Northern Ireland, if you find dead waterfowl (swans, geese or ducks) or other dead wild birds, such as gulls or birds of prey, please check the DAERA website for reporting options. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low. However, the advice remains that you should not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find.

25 August 2022