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The Independent
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Warning for farmers after first case of bird flu discovered in a sheep
A case of bird flu in sheep has been confirmed for the first time on a farm where the disease had been found in poultry, the UK chief vet has said. The case in a single sheep was identified with repeat positive milk testing following routine surveillance of livestock on a premises in Yorkshire where avian influenza H5N1 had been confirmed in captive birds. It was found in monitoring of livestock on infected farms in the wake of the outbreak of the disease in dairy cows in the US. The infected sheep was humanely culled and no further infection was detected in the remaining flock, the Government said. It is the first time the virus has been reported in a sheep, but officials said it was not the first time bird flu had been found in livestock in other countries, and there was no increased risk to the UK's farm animal population. But they called on all farmers and livestock keepers to be vigilant and practise good biosecurity measures to protect their animals and prevent further spread if there is an outbreak. UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: 'We have confirmed the detection of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep on a farm in Yorkshire. 'Strict biosecurity measures have been implemented to prevent the further spread of disease. 'While the risk to livestock remains low, I urge all animal owners to ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place and to report any signs of infection to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately.' The National Sheep Association (NSA) stressed the case was confined to one small holding and was not a food security risk. NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: 'This is not a threat to food safety of consumers and it's very important to make that clear. 'What this shows though is the importance of biosecurity and an understanding of what biosecurity means. 'In the sheep industry, we often think the term just refers to buying in stock, but in this instance sheep and poultry have mixed on the same farm, resulting in the transmission of avian influenza.' He added mixing of stock should be avoided when parts of England was undergoing mandatory housing for poultry due to bird flu outbreaks. Professor Ian Brown, group leader at the Pirbright Institute, a leading centre for studying animal disease, said the detection on bird flu in a sheep which has had close contact with infected birds was 'not an unexpected finding'. '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.' But he added: 'It does emphasise the importance of separating species and maintaining good farm hygiene.'
New York Times
24-03-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Bird Flu Found in Sheep in U.K., a World First
Bird flu has infected a sheep in Britain in what the government on Monday described as the first case of its kind reported anywhere in the world. While avian influenza had already been detected in cattle and other mammals, including in the United States, the infection of a sheep will increase concern over the potential impact of the disease's spread. In a statement, Britain's government said that avian origin flu (or H5N1) had been found in a ewe during what it called 'routine surveillance' of livestock in Yorkshire in the north of England, where cases had been confirmed in captive birds. 'All affected birds and the infected ewe were humanely culled to mitigate the risk of further disease spread,' the statement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. 'Further official testing of the remaining flock of sheep at the premises, including the lambs of the affected ewe, were negative for the presence of avian influenza virus.' Britain's chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said that strict biosecurity measures had been put in place to prevent the further spread of disease but urged owners of animals to 'ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place,' and to report any signs of infection to the authorities. Transmission of bird flu to humans is relatively rare, although one case was reported in January in England's West Midlands in a person who was said to have been in proximity to sick birds on a farm. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that there have been 70 confirmed human cases since 2024. The virus is spread through contact with infected birds or other species, including through touching their droppings and bedding, although people can also catch the virus by killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking. Avian flu has been detected in cattle, in the United Sates, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting 41 cases and 989 dairy herds affected as of Friday. Other animals, including cats, foxes and pigs, have also been known to contract the virus, althoug though the addition of sheep to that list will add to the concern. Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, which represents British sheep farmers, said that the case did not pose a threat to food safety but raised questions about farming different kinds of animals in the same location. 'In this instance sheep and poultry have mixed on the same farm, resulting in the transmission of avian influenza,' he said in a statement. Meera Chand, emerging infection lead at the U.K.'s health security agency, said that while 'globally, we continue to see that mammals can be infected with avian influenza,' the 'current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we're seeing circulating around the world do not spread easily to people — and the risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Warning for farmers after first case of bird flu discovered in a sheep
A case of bird flu in sheep has been confirmed for the first time on a farm where the disease had been found in poultry, the UK chief vet has said. The case in a single sheep was identified with repeat positive milk testing following routine surveillance of livestock on a premises in Yorkshire where avian influenza H5N1 had been confirmed in captive birds. It was found in monitoring of livestock on infected farms in the wake of the outbreak of the disease in dairy cows in the US. The infected sheep was humanely culled and no further infection was detected in the remaining flock, the Government said. It is the first time the virus has been reported in a sheep, but officials said it was not the first time bird flu had been found in livestock in other countries, and there was no increased risk to the UK's farm animal population. But they called on all farmers and livestock keepers to be vigilant and practise good biosecurity measures to protect their animals and prevent further spread if there is an outbreak. UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: 'We have confirmed the detection of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep on a farm in Yorkshire. 'Strict biosecurity measures have been implemented to prevent the further spread of disease. 'While the risk to livestock remains low, I urge all animal owners to ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place and to report any signs of infection to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately.' The National Sheep Association (NSA) stressed the case was confined to one small holding and was not a food security risk. NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: 'This is not a threat to food safety of consumers and it's very important to make that clear. 'What this shows though is the importance of biosecurity and an understanding of what biosecurity means. 'In the sheep industry, we often think the term just refers to buying in stock, but in this instance sheep and poultry have mixed on the same farm, resulting in the transmission of avian influenza.' He added mixing of stock should be avoided when parts of England was undergoing mandatory housing for poultry due to bird flu outbreaks. Professor Ian Brown, group leader at the Pirbright Institute, a leading centre for studying animal disease, said the detection on bird flu in a sheep which has had close contact with infected birds was 'not an unexpected finding'. '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.' But he added: 'It does emphasise the importance of separating species and maintaining good farm hygiene.'
Telegraph
24-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Bird flu detected in British sheep for first time
Bird flu has been detected in British sheep for the first time. The disease was found in a single animal on a farm in Yorkshire, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said. The infected sheep was culled and sent for extensive testing. The National Sheep Association said the finding was 'not welcome news at this time of year', sparking fears for the upcoming lambing season ahead of Easter. The case was detected during routine surveillance of farm livestock, in an area where highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 had been found in captive birds. Although it was the first time bird flu had been found in a sheep in England, it has been detected in other countries. Last month, bird flu was detected in cattle in the United States for the first time – and in January a farm worker in England tested positive for the virus after catching it from an infected flock. Helen Roberts, NSA Cymru development officer, said: 'Although this news is not welcome at this time of year, it does give us the opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of good biosecurity especially with lambing for many just around the corner and to be vigilant with our flock. 'We want to do our utmost to retain our high health and welfare standards of the national flock.' NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker said there was 'not a threat to food safety of consumers' but warned against farmers mixing species, particularly during a period of mandatory housing measures for poultry due to bird flu outbreaks. The case has been reported to both the World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Health Organisation. However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the bird flu poses a 'very low food safety risk' to UK consumers. The Food Standards Agency advises that 'properly cooked' poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remain 'safe to eat' because the virus is not transmitted through food. UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: 'We have confirmed the detection of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep on a farm in Yorkshire. 'Strict biosecurity measures have been implemented to prevent the further spread of disease. 'While the risk to livestock remains low, I urge all animal owners to ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place and to report any signs of infection to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately.' The UK recently added five million doses of bird flu vaccines for people to its vaccination stockpile to be prepared in the event of a bird flu strain that is more infectious in humans. Dr Meera Chand, Emerging Infection Lead at UKHSA, said: 'Globally, we continue to see that mammals can be infected with avian influenza. 'However, current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we're seeing circulating around the world do not spread easily to people – and the risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low. 'UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely alongside Defra, DHSC, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency. 'UKHSA has established preparations in place for detections of human cases of avian flu and will respond rapidly with NHS and other partners if needed.' Robin May, chief scientific adviser at the FSA said: 'We are working very closely with Defra, UKHSA and Food Standards Scotland following the discovery of avian influenza virus in a sheep in the UK. 'Our advice remains that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers since the H5N1 virus is not normally transmitted through food. 'We continue to monitor the situation closely and will assess any emerging information to continue to ensure UK food is safe.'
