Overview
- Official figures for the 2025–26 season list 58 confirmed H5N1 outbreaks across the UK, including 46 in England, seven in Wales, four in Northern Ireland and one in Scotland.
- British Trust for Ornithology data show confirmed infections in 131 Mute Swans and 28 Whooper Swans since October, alongside cases in several other waterbird species.
- In Kent, rescuers recovered the bodies of at least 50 swans in the Canterbury and Thanet areas following suspected bird flu deaths, according to a local volunteer.
- Recent confirmations include a case at a farm in Lydd, Kent, and an incidence on the Woodstock (Blenheim) Estate in Oxfordshire, where managers say they are following DEFRA guidance.
- The RSPB advises people to avoid feeding ducks, swans, geese and gulls to limit transmission, while conservationists ask the public to report multiple bird deaths and not to handle carcasses.