Person contracts bird flu on West Midlands farm
Person contracts bird flu on West Midlands farm
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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 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.
