First bird flu case in a human confirmed in England

Announcing the news earlier today (January 6), the UKHSA said that the case, which is believed to be in the South West of England, is an "isolated incident" and is currently investigating the factors that led to the confirmed case.

They have said the risk to the wider public from avian flu is very low, but people should refrain from touching sick or dead birds.

Read more: Outbreak of avian flu confirmed in Middleton-in-Teesdale

In a statement, 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 UKHSA has said that it's working with partner agencies to prevent further cases.

This most recent announcement comes after several 'large scale' bird flu cases at farms across the North East and North Yorkshire at the end of 2021, which saw 'protection zones' and 'surveillance zones' set up around the problemed areas. 

On Christmas Eve, it was confirmed that there were 12 sites in North Yorkshire with highly pathogenic bird flu, including in Thirsk and Richmond.

An outbreak was also recently confirmed at a premises near Middleton-in-Teesdale, in Upper Teesdale, as well as further cases in Wshington, Tyne and Wear.

Read more: Dozen cases of bird flu in North Yorkshire

In total, there are believed to be more than 60 cases of bird flu in flocks across England, 

To help mitigate the spread of disease, the Government introduced new housing measures last month which means that keepers of chickens, ducks, geese or any other birds are now legally required to keep them indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures.

In each case where avian flu has been detected, each bird has been killed, which has led to around half a million birds been culled so far, according to UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss.

The first human case comes after flock outbreaks in parts of England, including North Yorkshire and the North East.

How humans get bird flu

According to the NHS, bird flu can be spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive).

This includes touching infected birds, touching droppings or bedding or killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054