Bird Flu - questions and answers

Avian Flu

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a serious disease that can affect all types of poultry.  While the virus can cause high bird mortality, it can only be caught by humans through close contact with live infected birds.

For background information on bird flu, and the latest updates, see the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm

FAQs to the British Egg Information Service about bird flu

Are eggs safe to eat?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency says that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk to UK consumers. It has confirmed that the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease.  

British Lion eggs are produced to stringent hygiene standards and remain among the safest in the world.

Is there any risk from the incidents of bird flu in Suffolk?

No. The present outbreak of bird flu presents minimal threat to human health.

What are poultry farmers doing to protect birds?

Poultry farmers have further increased biosecurity on their farms, including hygiene measures such as no feeding and watering on the range, control of visitors etc and, if the need arose, hens can be taken inside their houses within a matter of hours.

If hens are taken inside, what are the welfare implications?

Very little, as all free range birds go inside their houses at night anyway.  All free range hen houses are designed to stock birds in the same numbers as barn hens, who live permanently inside similar barns.  Birds are free to roam around the house and have nesting boxes, perching areas and scratching areas. They have continuous access to feed and water.  In the event of free range birds needing to be kept inside, producers will be spending more time with their birds and will make sure they have some additional activities, for example hanging items like cabbages and CDs for them to play with to ensure that welfare is not affected.

Have egg sales been affected by the bird flu scares?

No, in fact egg sales have been steadily increasing in recent years.