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<p>The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare. Fur
farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 (2002 in Scotland and Northern
Ireland). Fur farming is legal in some EU countries. Where outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2
and avian influenza virus have occurred in fur farms in Europe in recent years, the
governments in those countries took action to cull the affected farms to mitigate
the risk of spread.</p><p> </p><p>Nevertheless, together with the UK Health Security
Agency (UKHSA) we are keeping a close eye on the findings of zoonotic pathogens such
as SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza in mink, foxes and other animals farmed for fur
and the possible risk to human and animal health. We are vigilant to changes in risk
and continue to use our established systems which include international disease monitoring
programmes in the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and UKHSA to monitor the situation
the outcomes of which are reviewed through our Veterinary Risk Group (VRG) and the
<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fcollections%2Fhuman-animal-infections-and-risk-surveillance-group-hairs&data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca4d6b6aa49024b8117ad08dc70d28617%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638509296692323090%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wN1YPicxpEPw5WL3O50gYl%2BQ03K6dwT8SfHka1WkHRA%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group</a>. The
HAIRS group have published a <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fhairs-risk-assessment-avian-influenza-ah5n1-in-non-avian-uk-wildlife&data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca4d6b6aa49024b8117ad08dc70d28617%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638509296692334965%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ums5KF2%2BfAA8srJqFApXuw%2Bm2tiaf%2Fv5u4cPfVYpZwE%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">risk assessment on the transmission from animals to humans of influenza
of avian origin</a> and on the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fhairs-risk-assessment-on-sars-cov-2-in-mustelinae-population&data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca4d6b6aa49024b8117ad08dc70d28617%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638509296692342651%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nKgulv3KkoaqcOz0lNhnyDcmNPvq8wa0t52wVt4J8DA%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">risk SARS-CoV-2 infection in UK captive or wild Mustelidae populations
presents to the UK human population</a>. There is no direct exposure to infected fur
farms for kept or wild mammals in the UK and there is no evidence to suggest an increased
risk to wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>International collaboration and knowledge exchange
on avian influenza and other zoonotic pathogens is facilitated through discussions
between the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and representatives from our national and
international reference laboratories, and their counterparts in the EU and globally
through the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the QUADs alliance and allied
projects. Including through the joint WOAH-FOA Scientific Network on animal influenza
<a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.offlu.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca4d6b6aa49024b8117ad08dc70d28617%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638509296692351670%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bEJVKWc6SnGFu3jNgvkASrg9ASiyfFrhmMLRccBpuKA%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">OFFLU</a>.</p>
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