Statutory guidance

General licence for the movement of carcasses or samples from live poultry or other captive birds from premises in the protection or surveillance zone to a laboratory or veterinary surgery for investigation (EXD415(HPAI)(EW))

Published 6 March 2025

Applies to England and Wales

This licence permits, subject to compliance with the conditions set out in the Schedule of Conditions below:

• the movement of any part of a bird carcase from a premises within a protection zone or a surveillance zone to a laboratory or veterinary surgery for diagnostic testing or investigation
• the movement of samples taken from live poultry or other captive birds, including blood samples, and samples of faeces and swab samples, from premises within a protection zone or surveillance zone to a laboratory or veterinary surgery for diagnostic testing or investigation

This licence only permits movements that are otherwise prohibited by a declaration issued in response to an outbreak of H5NX, where H5NX is any strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of clade 2.3.4.4b, for example H5N1, H5N5. It does not permit movements prohibited by a declaration issued in response to an outbreak of any other strain of HPAI.

This licence is valid from 17:00 on 5 March 2025 until suspended or revoked in writing.

This licence has been issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Welsh Government and applies to England and Wales.

Signed: Sarah Lloyd Veterinary Inspector

Date: 5 March 2025    Time: 17:00

Veterinary Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers.

Legislation

• The Animal Health Act 1981 (as amended)
• The Animals (Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 1927 - article 2(1)
• The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) - Schedule 4 paras 11, 14 and 16; Schedule 5 paras 8, 8A and 15
• The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) - Schedule 4 paras 11, 14 and 16; Schedule 5 paras 8, 8A and 15

Schedule of conditions

1) Carcasses or samples moved under this licence must be sent via recorded delivery, courier, or delivered directly from the premises in the protection zone or surveillance zone to the receiving premises for testing or investigation.

2) Carcasses and samples may not be moved from any premises which has been served a restriction notice by a veterinary inspector.

3) Carcasses and samples may not be moved under this licence for the purpose of testing for a notifiable avian disease.

4) Immediately prior to taking the samples or collecting carcasses, for movement under this licence the poultry on the premises must be inspected to check that they show no clinical signs that could be associated with avian influenza.

5) Before any movement under this licence takes place, the person(s) responsible for the destination laboratory / veterinary surgery of the planned movement must have been:

• informed of the planned movement;
• informed that the samples or carcasses are from an avian influenza protection zone or surveillance zone (as appropriate); and
• made aware of the conditions of this licence, and must have agreed to accept the samples or carcasses.

6) The outer packaging and sample submission form must be labelled to indicate the premises of origin and clearly state that these premises are within an avian influenza protection or surveillance zone (as appropriate).

7) All samples must be packed in accordance with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (as amended) and The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) (see explanatory note 1, below, for a link to more information).

8) All samples or carcasses must be packaged to meet UN3373 – P650 packaging requirements. Each package must be marked with “BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCE CATEGORY B”. This must be in at least 6mm high letters and placed adjacent to the diamond UN3373 label (see explanatory note 1, below, for a link to more information).

9) All persons using this general licence must:

• when in the premises of origin wear either:
  1. disposable protective clothing or
  2. non-disposable overalls that can protect clothing from contamination and can be fully cleansed and disinfected; and non-disposable PPE.
• not enter or leave the premises of origin wearing clothing or footwear which is visibly soiled with mud, poultry or bird faeces or any similar matter
• cleanse and disinfect their footwear before entering or leaving the premises of origin
• remove any disposable clothing before leaving the premises of origin; and must not reuse it at further premises
• ensure non-disposable clothing is clean and free of all visible contamination before leaving the premises of origin
• take all other reasonable precautions to avoid transferring mud, slurry, animal faeces, excretions, feathers or any other similar matter between poultry and captive bird premises.

10) Before entering or leaving the premises from which samples or carcasses are to be removed:

• the exterior of the vehicle used in the transport of the samples/carcasses must be free of any visible contamination with litter, mud, slurry, animal faeces, excretions, eggshell, broken egg, feathers or any other similar matter, and
• the vehicle’s wheels and wheel arches must be cleansed and disinfected. The cleansing and disinfection after loading must take place at a point beyond which no contamination with litter, mud, slurry, animal faeces, excretions, eggshell, broken egg, feathers or any similar matter can take place.

11) After the handling of the samples or carcasses, any surface in the origin premises with which the samples or carcasses have had contact, and any equipment used in the handling of such samples or carcasses, must be cleansed and disinfected.

12) Cleansing and disinfection must be done in accordance with Article 66 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) in England or Article 66 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) in Wales.

13) The licensee must ensure that material moved under this licence is disposed of at an approved animal by-products incineration plant by the means of disposal prescribed for Category 1 material or Category 2 material by assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009. Disposal of carcasses must take place by a means of disposal or use permitted by Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 for the relevant category of material.

Explanatory notes

1) For more information relevant to Conditions 7 and 8, above, see our Transporting Dangerous Goods guidance.

2) In this licence:

a) “Carcase” or “carcass” means any bird carcase and includes any part of a bird carcase.

“Other captive bird” means a bird kept in captivity which is not poultry and includes a pet bird and a bird kept for shows, races, exhibitions, competitions, breeding or for sale.

b) Any person moving carcasses/samples under this licence must make a record of the movement including details of (among other things) the registration of any vehicle used, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the movement. This must be retained for at least six weeks from the date the movement is completed, as required by Article 74 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) in England or Article 74 of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) in Wales.

3) When moving anything under the authority of this licence, a person must carry a consignment note. The consignment note must include

• the quantity of materials being moved
• the date of the movement
• the name of the consignor
• the address of the premises from which materials have been moved
• the registration of the collecting vehicle
• the name of the consignee
• the address of the disposal premises.

4) A person moving anything under the authority of this licence must, if asked to do so by an inspector or other officer of the Secretary of State or Welsh Ministers, give their name and address, produce the consignment note and allow copies or an extract to be taken.

5) All bird keepers must keep a close watch on their birds for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your birds, seek prompt advice from your vet.

6) If the activity that you wish to undertake is not covered by this licence, or if you are unable to comply with any of the conditions which apply to the use of this licence, then you may need to apply for a specific licence.

7) For further details of legislation covering avian influenza in:

• England – see our bird flu guidance
• Wales - see the Welsh Government website

Failure to observe the measures required in this licence is an offence under Section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981. The penalty on conviction of an offence under this section is a maximum of six months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding Level 5 on the standard scale or both.

Contact us

If you have any queries regarding this general licence contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Please include your name, full address and telephone number so we can ensure your enquiry is routed to the correct area expert.