Key symptoms of bird flu that come on 'very quickly' as human case found in UK
Key symptoms of bird flu that come on 'very quickly' as human case found in UK
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Symptoms of bird flu can come on “very quickly” and have the potential to develop into more “severe” complications, the NHS has warned. It comes as the first human case in years has been detected in England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed a case of avian influenza in the West Midlands region. According to the Government body, bird-to-human transmission of avian influenza is “rare” and has only previously occurred a small number of times in the UK. The affected person contracted H5N1 strain, which hasn’t been detected in a human since 2022.
The UKHSA reported that the infection was acquired on a farm where the patient had “close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds”. They have since been admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit and is “currently well”.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said in an update: “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.”. And UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss added: “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.
