# First bird flu case of the season in England raises concerns ahead of winter

> A highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreak was confirmed at a free-range laying unit near Belford, Northumberland, with about 32,000 hens lost or culled. The outbreak was detected on 19 October, and it follows an earlier H5N5 case in Scotland. Industry expects more wild bird-linked cases in the winter season.

- Date: 2026-11-05 · published 2026-11-05T15:13:15.767Z
- Category: disease · region England · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/82011-first-bird-flu-case-of-the-season-in-england-raises-concerns-ahead-of-winter
- Commodities: [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md), [Chicken](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CHICKEN.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md)

## Why it matters

Losses of layer hens tighten egg supply in the UK and can raise demand for imported eggs and feed, a modest signal for feed ingredient demand.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HOGS | 2024-12-13 | [First H5N1 Bird Flu Infections in Pigs Raises Concerns \| Infectious Diseases \| JAMA \| JAMA Network](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16037-first-h5n1-bird-flu-infections-in-pigs-raises-concerns-infectious-diseases-jama.md) | +0.2% | -1.9% |
| HOGS | 2024-11-01 | [Why finding bird flu in a U.S. pig for the first time is raising new worries](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16050-why-finding-bird-flu-in-a-u-s-pig-for-the-first-time-is-raising-new-worries.md) | -0.6% | -2.5% |
| HOGS | 2019-11-28 | [Swine fever raises fears of bird flu pandemic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55942-swine-fever-raises-fears-of-bird-flu-pandemic.md) | +0.7% | +7.9% |
| HOGS | 2019-11-01 | [China Reports Worst Bird Flu Season On Record](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55939-china-reports-worst-bird-flu-season-on-record.md) | -1.8% | -5.3% |
| HOGS | 2019-11-25 | [Swine fever raises fears of bird flu pandemic - Asia & Pacific](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55940-swine-fever-raises-fears-of-bird-flu-pandemic-asia-and-pacific.md) | -2.8% | +6.8% |
| SBM | 2025-05-16 | [Explainer: What is bird flu, and why is Brazil's first case on a commercial farm concerning? \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/15999-explainer-what-is-bird-flu-and-why-is-brazil-s-first-case-on-a-commercial-farm.md) | +0.2% | -0.8% |
| SBM | 2022-12-20 | [Avian influenza cases in poultry and water birds on the rise \| EFSA](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16225-avian-influenza-cases-in-poultry-and-water-birds-on-the-rise-efsa.md) | +0.5% | +7.4% |
| SBM | 2026-10-22 | [The Birds Come Back: Korea's Avian Flu Season and the Price of an Egg \| The Ag Digest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17127-the-birds-come-back-korea-s-avian-flu-season-and-the-price-of-an-egg-the-ag.md) | -2.7% | — |

## Sources

- foodagribusiness.world: https://www.foodagribusiness.world/poultry/first-bird-flu-case-of-the-season-in-england-raises-concerns-ahead-of-winter

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.