The UK Health Security Agency announces first human case since May 2023 as the person in West Midlands caught avian influenza on farm after ‘close and prolonged contact’ with infected birds
A human case of bird flu has been confirmed in England.
The UK Health Security Agency said the person in the West Midlands region caught avian influenza on a farm where “they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds”. It is the first human case since May 2023 when a poultry culler caught it from infected birds and comes at a time of a national outbreak among the animals. The individual concerned is now in isolation and contact tracing is underway.
Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, said: “The safety of the public is paramount, and we are monitoring this situation closely. 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. We recently added the H5 vaccine, which protects against avian influenza, to our stockpile as part of our preparedness plans.”
There has been no demonstrated human-to-human transmission despite extensive recent surveillance of the circulating A(H5N1). The case was detected after the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) identified an outbreak of avian influenza in a flock of birds. The UKHSA then carried out routine monitoring on people who had been in close contact with the infected birds.
The individual infected is described as “currently well” and has been admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit. Their close contacts have all been given antiviral treatment to reduce the chance that any virus they have been exposed to will be able to cause infection.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the 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 onward 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.”
The last human case of avian influenza in the UK was in mid-May 2023 when it was found in two people including a poultry culler who worked on an infected farm. Since 2021 there have been seven such A(H5N1) detections in the UK and this latest case is only the second where the patient has exhibited symptoms while the others were asymptomatic.
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer had ordered a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone AIPZ to cover the whole of England from noon on Saturday. All bird keepers, from people with pet birds to farmers with huge flocks, are now required to follow strict hygiene measures imposed by the Government. In some counties, mostly across the east of England, even stricter rules are being put in place that mean birds must be kept indoors.
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.”
