A strain of bird flu known to infect humans, H5N1, has been confirmed in recent outbreaks across Scotland and England. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has extended protection and surveillance zones as well as mandatory housing orders due to the widespread impact.
This particular strain was one of the first forms of avian flu discovered to infect humans back in 1997, but human cases remains rare and it doesn’t usually spread from person to person. However, the World Health Organisation confirmed on January 10 that over the past 11 years, the H5N1 strain infected 954 individuals, resulting in 464 deaths.
Consequently, this strain has a 49% fatality rate in humans, although it’s suspected the actual fatality rate could be lower as mild cases may go unidentified. The NHS emphasises that bird flu can only be transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected bird, whether dead or alive. It reassures: “You can’t catch bird flu through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with an outbreak of bird flu.”
Regular hand washing with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling raw poultry and other food, can help prevent transmission. Early signs of bird flu in humans, which can manifest rapidly, include high fever, muscle aches, headaches, cough or trouble breathing.
Diarrhoea, abdominal and chest pain, nosebleeds, gum bleeding and eye infections are also symptoms to watch for. After contracting the virus, it typically takes three to five days for initial symptoms to show up.
If left untreated, serious complications like pneumonia and organ failure can develop. Although there’s no human vaccine for bird flu, early antiviral treatment can help prevent these dire consequences.
Bird populations suffer devastating impacts from bird flu, often leading authorities to euthanise whole flocks upon detection of the virus. Recently, it was revealed that one million hens at one of the UK’s major poultry producers had to be culled due to an outbreak.
Bird owners are under strict government-imposed measures; in some areas with confirmed cases, indoor confinement of birds is mandatory. The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, has advised: “I urge bird keepers to check which requirements apply to them. Continue to exercise robust biosecurity measures, remain alert for any signs of disease and report suspected disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.”