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The Independent
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
What is bird flu and what threat does it pose after being detected in sheep for the first time?
Bird flu has been detected in a single sheep for the first time in England, in an area where the disease had been confirmed in captive birds. The government said while this marked the first time avian influenza H5N1 had been found in a sheep. It is not the first time it had been detected in livestock in other countries. Surveillance on infected premises was introduced by the government following an outbreak of the disease in dairy cows in the US. However, the government added there was no evidence to suggest an increased risk to the country's livestock population. The infected sheep in Yorkshire has been culled and sent for extensive testing. Further testing in the remaining flock of sheep was undertaken and no other infection with avian influenza virus was detected. What is bird flu? Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is the name for a number of different virus strains that infect birds. The vast majority of strains of the virus do not infect humans. To date there have been no recorded cases of a human infected with bird flu in the UK. In rare cases humans can catch the virus when coming into contact with live infected birds, with those working with poultry particularly at risk. The symptoms if you do somehow catch it include a very high temperature, sickness, stomach pain, aching muscles and a cough. It usually takes three to five days for the first symptoms to appear after becoming infected. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the first human outbreak of the virus was found in Hong Kong in 1997. A three-year-old boy died of respiratory failure in a Hong Kong hospital and months later the cause of death was established to be H5N1 avian influenza. The outbreak was linked to handling infected poultry. In January, UKHSA confirmed a case of bird flu in a person in the West Midlands, after prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds on a farm. The patient was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit. There is no vaccine to protect against the virus but avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and not eating undercooked poultry, or eggs can also reduce the risk of catching the virus. Why has it been detected in sheep for the first time? The virus does predominantly affect birds, but mammals that come into close contact with infected birds or eat infected birds can also catch it. Globally, a huge number of kept and wild birds have been infected. However, only a small number of infections have been reported in mammals in comparison. This includes an outbreak of the disease in dairy cows in the US. In the UK, cases have been confirmed in foxes, otters, seals and now sheep – some of these mammals are known to scavenge dead or dying birds, according to UKHSA. Experts say it is not 'unexpected' that a sheep that came into close contact with an infected bird also caught the virus. ' It is too early to consider whether such virus is capable of onward spread within sheep, but this was an isolated small holding with a small number of birds and sheep,' Professor Ian Brown, Group Leader at the Pirbright Institute said. He added: 'The pathways of spread of these viruses in the USA has been shown to be by movement of dairy cattle in commercial milking herds which appears not applicable in this single case of one animal becoming infected. 'It does emphasise the importance of separating species and maintaining good farm hygiene.' Ed Hutchinson, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Virology, at the University of Glasgow was surprised to learn the virus was detected in the sheep's milk. He said: 'It suggests parallels to the ongoing H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle in the USA, where the virus is spreading through cow's milk. At the moment there is no evidence of any ongoing transmission from the sheep, and the case appears to have been contained. 'More work will be needed to understand what's going on here – in particular to understand if this is a very rare or one-off event which happened because there was a lot of H5N1 around and this was just the wrong sheep in the wrong place, or whether sheep infections with H5N1 might become more common in the future.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Human case of bird flu found in West Midlands, UKHSA says
A human case of bird flu has been found in England, health officials have said. The virus was detected in a person in the West Midlands region who is said to have been infected while on a farm, having had "close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds". The birds had the DI.2 genotype - which is known to be circulating in birds in the UK this season, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday. It is different to strains circulating among mammals and birds in the US. Anyone the individual has been in contact with has been contacted by officials and those at highest risk of exposure have been offered antiviral treatment, the agency said in a statement. The person concerned is "currently well" and being treated at a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit. The risk to the wider public is "very low", the agency said, adding that it's rare for people to catch the H5N1 virus, also called avian influenza, from birds. No cases of human-to-human transmission have been detected despite what the UKHSA called "extensive recent surveillance of influenza A(H5N1)" amid multiple bird flu outbreaks in birds across the country. The case was detected as part of routine surveillance for bird flu by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which discovered an outbreak in a flock of birds. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said the risk of avian flu to the general public is still "very low", and there is currently "no evidence of onwards transmission" from the case. She said the public should not "touch sick or dead birds" and follow Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) advice about reporting any suspected cases. UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said it's very rare for a human to catch the disease, even though it is "highly contagious" in birds. All the infected birds are being "humanely culled" and the premises "cleaned and disinfected". She warned of a "growing number of avian flu cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country". Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, said his department is "monitoring this situation closely", but the risk of wider or onward transmission is "very low". The government has stocked up on H5 vaccine, which protects against bird flu, he said. Read more from Sky News:'Monstrous' paedophile gang jailed Human-to-human transmission of the disease has only been seen very rarely and never in Europe or the UK. There have been seven human cases in the UK since 2021; this is the second in which an individual has shown symptoms. On Saturday, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer ordered a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) covering the whole of England and Scotland following the rise in cases. Last month, scientists at the University of Glasgow said bird flu can infect horses without causing any symptoms, raising fears that the virus could be spreading undetected.
Khaleej Times
27-01-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UK confirms 'rare' human case of bird flu
A "rare" human case of bird flu has been detected in England, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) announced on Monday. "The person acquired the infection on a farm, where they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds. The risk to the wider public continues to be very low," the agency said in a statement. The individual, who caught the A(H5N1) infection in England's West Midlands, is "well" and has been admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit, UKHSA said in a statement. The birds were infected with the DI.2 genotype, which is different to strains circulating among mammals and birds in the United States, it added. "The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case," said Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA. There has been no evidence so far that the A(H5N1) influenza strain can spread from human to human. "While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises," said UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss. "We are seeing a growing number of avian flu cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country. "We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds are being humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises will be undertaken," she added.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Person contracts bird flu on West Midlands farm
A person in the West Midlands has contracted bird flu after 'close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds,' the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. The case is only one of seven seen in the UK since 2021 and the risk to the wider public is 'low', it added. The person, who had symptoms, is currently well and has been admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit, as is routine in these cases. The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case. We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur Professor Susan Hopkins, UKHSA The person acquired the infection on a farm where birds were infected with the DI.2 genotype – one of the viruses known to be circulating in birds in the UK this season, the UKHSA said. This is different to strains circulating among mammals and birds in the US. The case was picked up as part of routine surveillance for bird flu in the UK, though everyone in contact with the individual and those at highest risk of exposure 'have been offered antiviral treatment', the agency added. Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: 'The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case. 'We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur. 'Currently there is no evidence of onwards transmission from this case. ' People are reminded not to touch sick or dead birds and it's important that they follow Defra advice about reporting any suspected avian influenza cases.' Human-to-human transmission of bird flu has never been documented in Europe or the UK, though has occasionally happened abroad. The risk of wider or onward transmission is very low, however the UK remains prepared and ready to respond to any current and future health threats Health minister Andrew Gwynne Health minister Andrew Gwynne, said the safety of the public is paramount. 'The risk of wider or onward transmission is very low, however the UK remains prepared and ready to respond to any current and future health threats,' he added. 'We recently added the H5 vaccine, which protects against avian influenza, to our stockpile as part of our preparedness plans.' UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said: 'While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises. 'We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds are being humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises will be undertaken all to strict biosecure standards. 'This is a reminder that stringent biosecurity is essential when keeping animals. 'We are seeing a growing number of avian flu cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country. 'Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help protect the health and welfare of your birds from the threat of avian influenza and other diseases.'
