Bird flu alert as two cases detected in poultry workers in England
A BIRD flu alert has been issues after two cases were detected in poultry workers in England.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there were no signs of human-to-human transmission.
It’s the first cases in the UK for at least six months.
The cases are believed to be linked to exposure to sick birds on a single poultry farm where the two people were known to have recently worked.
Neither worker suffered symptoms of infection and both cases were found during screening.
The UKHSA is running a programme of testing workers who deal with birds infected with avian flu, but is also running asymptomatic testing.
The first human case being reported was detected via a swab put in the nose.
Experts believe it is likely this worker may have inhaled the virus.
The second person is thought to be a more complicated case and it is unclear whether they have suffered a genuine infection or whether they have inhaled the virus while they were at work.
Further investigation is under way but precautionary contact tracing has been undertaken for this person, the UKHSA said.
Both people are now testing negative, the UKHSA said, adding there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission.
The UKHSA said the cases do not change the level of risk to human health, which remains “very low to the general population”.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: “Current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating in birds around the world do not spread easily to people.
“However, we know already that the virus can spread to people following close contact with infected birds and this is why, through screening programmes like this one, we are monitoring people who have been exposed to learn more about this risk.
What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans?
The main symptoms of bird flu can appear very quickly and include:
- a very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery
- aching muscles
- headache
- a cough or shortness of breath
Other early symptoms may include:
- diarrhoea
- sickness
- stomach pain
- chest pain
- bleeding from the nose and gums
- conjunctivitis
Source: NHS
“Globally, there is no evidence of spread of this strain from person to person, but we know that viruses evolve all the time and we remain vigilant for any evidence of changing risk to the population.
“It remains critical that people avoid touching sick or dead birds, and that they follow the Defra advice about reporting.”
Last month, a man in Chile infected with a bird flu had shown concerning mutations, US health officials warned.
Studies suggest the new mutations could cause the virus to be more deadly and spread more easily.