As health authorities confirm two poultry workers have tested positive for bird flu in England, this is all you need to know about the latest developments with regard to a disease that has seen hundreds of birds in the North East die over recent months.
At this stage it is not known where in England the two poultry workers are based, though the UK Health Security Agency believes the are no signs of person-to-person transmission. The two cases are thought to be linked to exposure to sick birds on a single poultry farm where the two people were known to have recently worked.
Contact tracing is taking place as a precaution.
Read more: Farne Islands to remain closed until end of summer following devastating avian flu outbreak
Thousands of birds across the UK have been hit by bird flu, with the internationally important seabird colonies on the Farne Islands among those to suffer devastating loss. The Farnes will remain closed until the end of August at least to protect birds.
Over the winter, health officials mandated that birds must be kept indoors. But this order lapsed in April.
Here are some details about bird flu:
What is bird flu?
Bird flu is a disease of birds caused by influenza viruses.
What strain of bird flu has been circulating?
A Eurasian strain of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza has been circulating in the UK and Europe. This strain is a very strong and infectious virus affecting poultry and other birds, but the risk to human health is considered very low.
What are the signs of bird flu?
Symptoms in birds who are infected with the most serious strain include swollen head, closed and runny eyes, lethargy and depression, lying down and unresponsiveness, lack of co-ordination, eating less than usual and a sudden increase or decrease in water consumption.
Some species such as ducks, geese and swans can carry the avian influenza virus and spread it without showing any signs of illness. Birds infected with the less serious strain of bird flu, called low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), may not show clear signs of infection.
They may have mild breathing problems. These signs can indicate bird flu, but the avian influenza virus can only be confirmed through laboratory tests.
Is bird flu a risk to humans?
The advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is that the risk to public health from the virus is very low. People are advised not to touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that they find.
The UKHSA said it has not detected evidence of human-to-human transmission and that the two newly-announced cases do not change the level of risk to human health, which remains very low to the general population.
What measures have been in place?
A “mandatory housing order” for England and Wales was lifted on April 18, meaning poultry and captive birds could be kept outside again. Bird keepers had been subject to a national housing order since November 7 to help curb the unprecedented number of bird flu cases seen. There had been more than 330 confirmed in the UK since October 2021 and far more suspected.
The Government said poultry and other captive birds could be kept outside again unless they were in a specified protection zone.
Is the virus still circulating in the environment?
In April, Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, said the risk of bird flu infection had reduced following restrictive measures throughout the winter, although bird keepers were encouraged to observe “stringent standards of biosecurity”.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the strict rules brought in under the avian influenza prevention zone will still apply, as the virus may still be circulating in the environment for several more weeks. Places with poor biosecurity had been assessed as medium risk of infection and those with good biosecurity are seen as low risk.
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