In the UK, 161 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected in poultry and captive birds, leading to the culling of 3.2m birds."Unfortunately we expect the number of cases to continue to rise over the coming months as migratory birds return to the UK, bringing with them further risk of disease that can spread into our kept flocks," she warned.The latest bird flu figures covering both Europe and the UK, which track outbreaks from October 2021 to September 9, were published on Monday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the EU Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza.But Andrea Ammon, director of the ECDC, warned those working in farming and the animal sector were still at "increased risk of exposure" and called for employers to improve biosecurity and health and safety measures."Vigilance is needed to identify infections with influenza viruses as early as possible and to inform risk assessments and public health action," she added."