The UK Health Security Agency announces first human case since May 2023 as the person in West Midlands caught avian influenza on farm after 'close and prolonged contact' with infected birds

A “rare” human case of bird flu has been detected in England, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) announced on Monday.

A bird flu prevention zone enforcing strict strict hygiene standards around birds is being declared for the whole of England from noon on Saturday. The rising number of cases and the risk to wildlife led to the decision,

A human case of bird flu has been detected in a person in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. The person acquired the H5N1 infection on a farm in the West Midlands, where they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said they are not currently expecting overall egg supplies to be affected.

The avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) is being extended to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease

The human case in the West Midlands was detected after the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) identified an outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) in a flock of birds. UKHSA carried out routine monitoring on people who had been in close contact with the infected birds and were able to detect the case.

The UK Health and Security Agency says the risk to the wider public continues to be very low. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A strain of avian flu that has infected humans in the past, H5N1, have been confirmed in Scotland and England in recent weeks. The widespread effect of the outbreak has prompted the Department for Environment,

Bird flu has been confirmed at two sites near York - as tough new restrictions come into force across England.