Human case of hen flu detected in UK as officers concern pressing warning
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the individual 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’
A case of bird flu in a human has been confirmed in England. The UK Health Security Agency revealed that the individual, located in the West Midlands region, contracted avian influenza on a farm where “they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds”.
This is the first human case since May 2023 when a poultry worker caught it from infected birds, coinciding with a national outbreak among the animals. The person involved is now in isolation and contact tracing is in progress.
Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, stated: “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.”
Despite extensive recent surveillance of the circulating A(H5N1), there has been no proven human-to-human transmission. The case was discovered after the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) identified an outbreak of avian influenza in a flock of birds.
The UKHSA then conducted routine monitoring on individuals who had been in close contact with the infected birds, reports the Mirror. The person who caught it is “currently well” and has been taken to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit. All their close contacts have been given antiviral treatments.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UKHSA, has piped up saying: “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.”
Commenting on the situation, UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss stated: “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.”
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