Bird flu strikes UK: First human case detected – amid growing concern the virus has mutated

Britain was today rocked by fresh bird flu fears after a human case was detected in England.

Officials said the unidentified Brit, thought to be from the West Midlands, is believed to have contracted it on a farm, where they had close contact with a large number of infected birds. 

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses are racing to contain the virus hunting down all contacts of the individual who is ‘well’ and was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit.

They were only caught after the health body carried out routine testing on people who had been in close contact with infected birds.

Bird-to-human transmission of avian influenza is rare and has only occurred a handful of times before in the UK. 

Symptoms of the virus mirror those of regular flu and Covid. It doesn’t spread easily between humans.

The strain carried by the infected Brit, H5N1, is the same that sparked world’s biggest ever bird flu outbreak in 2023.

It affected more than 200 million domestic birds globally on top of countless wild birds, spilling into mammals like mink, foxes, raccoons and bears. 

But the risk to the wider public continues to be very low, the UKHSA said. 

Human-to-human transmission of avian influenza has only been documented very rarely and never in Europe or the UK.  

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: ‘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 onwards transmission from this case.

‘People are reminded not to touch sick or dead birds and it’s important that they follow Defra advice about reporting any suspected avian influenza cases.’

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss added: ‘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.

‘We are seeing a growing number of avian flu cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country. 

‘Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help protect the health and welfare of your birds from the threat of avian influenza and other diseases.’

Meanwhile, Andrew Gwynne, minister for public health and prevention, also said: ‘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.’

The wave of outbreaks comes just months after a panel of UK Government experts said the ongoing infections in American cattle had boosted the risk of human-to-human transmission to up to 35 per cent, compared to just five per cent previously.

Independent experts have also previously told MailOnline the threat of a new pandemic sparked by bird flu is low but ‘cannot be excluded’ as a possibility.

In America, where there has been a sustained nationwide outbreak in poultry and cattle, there have been more than 60 human cases in recent months. 

An analysis in a December posted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its website found signs the virus detected in one patient’s throat had genetic changes that may lead to ‘increased virus binding’ to specific ‘cell receptors found in the upper respiratory tract of humans.’

These changes have not been found in birds, including in the backyard poultry flock thought to have infected the Louisiana patient initially.

The UK has also recently seen multiple avian influenza outbreaks in birds across the country, with the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer issuing alerts to bird owners.

Humans are unlikely to catch bird flu from eating poultry and game birds because it is heat-sensitive, and properly cooking the poultry will kill the virus. 

Usual symptoms in humans are high fever, a cough, sore throat, muscle aches and a general feeling of malaise. 

And just like with ordinary flu, it can quickly develop into serious respiratory illness and pneumonia.

Human infections occur when the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or is inhaled. 

While this is the first human case of H5N1 in the current outbreak, Britain has seen people infected before.

Alan Gosling, a retired engineer in Devon who kept ducks at home, caught the virus in early 2022 after his pets became infected.

He later tested negative while he was in quarantine for nearly three weeks.