Avian disease surveillance
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If you have found something new, unusual, severe, or unresponsive in relation to avian diseases, please contact the AEG veterinary lead or your nearest Veterinary Investigation Centre.
Please note: if you suspect a notifiable disease you must contact APHA immediately.
Explore the diagnoses made by the GB surveillance network through the interactive avian disease surveillance dashboard.
Avian Expert Group (AEG) veterinary lead
The AEG veterinary lead is Zoe Treharne (020 7895 5821)
Zoe has been the AEG veterinary lead since July 2022. She leads the Defra-funded avian disease scanning surveillance project in APHA. Zoe also represents APHA on the Poultry Health and Welfare Group.
AEG members
To support the AEG veterinary lead, the group has representation from Veterinary Investigation Officers and avian pathologists from APHA. In addition, there are APHA members on AEG providing expertise on virology (with especial emphasis on notifiable avian diseases) and from Veterinary Advice Services and Scotland Field Operations.
AEG non-APHA members include representatives from:
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
- British Veterinary Poultry Association
- Royal Veterinary College
- Scotland's SRUC Veterinary Services
- Veterinary Medicine Directorate
APHA Animal Disease Surveillance Reports
- APHA Veterinary Record monthly disease surveillance report.
- Quarterly GB Avian Disease Surveillance and Emerging Threats reports
- Avian Disease Surveillance Dashboard
Recent Interesting Cases
- Update on HPAI in the UK and Europe
- High mortality in broilers associated with Avian Pathogenic E. coli
- Marek’s disease virus in small and backyard chicken flocks and differing strain virulence
- Avian intestinal spirochaetosis and potential antimicrobial resistance
Population information
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: Poultry population report - 2022 - re-issued
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: poultry population report - 2021 - re-issued
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: poultry population report - 2020
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: poultry population report - 2019
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: poultry population report - 2018
- Livestock Demographic Data Group: poultry population report - 2017
Enhanced Demograpic Reports
Disease information
Information notes and alerts on specific diseases or conditions:
- Antibiotic prescribing challenges in smallholder poultry - July 2022
- Code of Practice For the prevention and control of rodent infestations on poultry farms - June 2022
- Bedding shortage information note - January 2018, revised September 2020
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Disease considerations in smallholder and backyard poultry flocks - July 2020
- Common diseases in small and backyard poultry flocks in Great Britain (excluding gamebirds) - August 2019
- The rise of the backyard chicken: information on an APHA project working with SAVSNET looking at diseases in chickens kept as pets - Summer 2019
- Health issues in breeding gamebirds - April 2019
- Differential diagnosis of negated avian notifiable disease cases in Great Britain - February 2019
- Looking out for avian influenza in backyard and small poultry flocks - December 2017
- Avian botulism in UK wild waterbirds - July 2017
- Backyard poultry in GB: common diseases - September 2014
- Gamebird keeping in GB: general guidance - September 2014
- Gamebirds in GB: common diseases - September 2014
Further information - External links
- Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) guidelines for the responsible use of antimicrobials and vaccines in poultry and gamebird production
- Veterinary Medicines Directorate report of UK veterinary antibiotic resistance and sales surveillance
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Biosecurity on poultry farms and information on avian influenza
Biosecurity (GOV.UK)
Avian influenza (GOV.UK)
Preliminary and updated outbreak assessments for avian influenza in Europe and in the UK