Concerns have been raised following the confirmation of two separate avian influenza cases in Wales.

The first was confirmed at a small-holding of 120 hens near Haverfordwest on Monday, followed by a second at a commercial game bird premises near Glyn Ceiriog, Wrexham, on Tuesday.

A 3km (1.9 miles) protection zone and 10km (6.2 miles) surveillance zone has been placed around each of the infected premises, the Welsh government said.

These are the first cases to be confirmed in Wales since 2023.

Reacting to the announcement, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS, said: “These are concerning developments and I urge all farmers and poultry keepers to be vigilant.

“I’ve requested a briefing from the Deputy First Minister and Wales’ Chief Vet to better understand the situation as we approach the summer season of agricultural shows.

“The agricultural industry is under immense strain at present so it’s important that the Welsh Government supports the sector properly as it looks to isolate the disease and reduce the spread.”

A study released this week by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has revealed the devastating impact bird flu has had on seabird and waterbird colonies.

Collectively, the studies reveal the unprecedented scale and spread of avian influenza, as it decimated seabird colonies in the UK and Europe, before travelling across multiple pathways through Africa, North and South America, to eventually reach South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic in September 2023.

Great Skuas saw an estimated 73% collapse in their UK breeding population, representing a loss of 45% of its global population.

A third of Svalbard’s Barnacle Goose population was lost to the disease and approximately a fifth of Northern Gannets were estimated to have died at some breeding colonies

Breeding terns and gulls were severely affected across Europe, including at important breeding colonies here in the UK.

Importantly, the editors overseeing these scientific papers have been able to identify a number of recommendations, which will help conservation bodies, land managers and others to better monitor future mortality, respond to major outbreaks, and understand the scope, scale and implications of this disease for wild bird populations.

“This was a conservation crisis unfolding in real time.” says Lead Editor Professor Phil Atkinson. “Being able to quickly bring together data and expertise from across BTO and its partner organisations has enabled us to respond to a rapidly evolving situation, and to then reflect on the lessons learned. Our collective findings call for urgent investment in long-term monitoring, improved approaches to disease response, and greater integration of wildlife disease surveillance into public health and environmental policy under a ‘One Health’ framework, which considers human, livestock, and wildlife health together.”

BTO warns that future bird flu outbreaks, together with other pressures on the environment, could push vulnerable species beyond recovery – and, without action, the disease also continues to pose a great risk to poultry and a growing risk to humans and livestock.