The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Warning over risk of avian flu infection
Poultry farmers and bird keepers are being reminded to maintain strict levels of biosecurity after confirmation a person in the south-west of England has bird flu.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said although the risk to the wider public continues to be very low, people should not touch sick or dead birds.
It said: “Bird to human transmission of avian flu is very rare and has only occurred a small number of times in the UK previously.
“The person acquired the infection from very close, regular contact with a large number of infected birds, which they kept in and around their home over a prolonged period of time.
“All contacts of the individual, including those who visited the premises, have been traced and there is no evidence of onward spread of the infection to anyone else. The individual is currently well and self-isolating.”
The UK has recently seen a large number of bird flu outbreaks among animals, with the UK’S chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss issuing warnings to bird owners over hygiene.
On December 21, she said the UK faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu, with more than 60 cases confirmed across the country since the start of November.
Some strains of bird flu can pass from birds to people, but this is extremely rare, according to the UKHSA.
It usually requires close contact with an infected bird, so the risk to humans is generally considered very low.
Human-to-human transmission of bird flu is also very rare, the organisation said.
The case was detected after the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) identified an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in a flock of birds. The infected birds have all been culled.
Ms 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.
“This is a reminder that stringent cleanliness when keeping animals is important.
“We are seeing a growing number of cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country. Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help keep your birds safe.”