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UK detects its first case of bird influenza in a sheep, fueling fears of spreading

UK detects its first case of bird influenza in a sheep, fueling fears of spreading

The British government announced that the first case of bird flu in the world was detected in a lamb in northern England. This adds to the list of animals infected with the disease, and increases fears of a global pandemic.

The H5N1 virus has killed many different animals around the world including dogs, cats, dairy cattle, bears, dolphins, seals, and tigers.

The British government released a statement saying that the case was discovered after routine surveillance of livestock in Yorkshire, where high pathogenic avian flu (H5N1) has been confirmed in captive birds.

In humans, there have been cases ranging in severity from no symptoms, to death in rare cases. There has yet to be any confirmed transmission of the virus between humans.

The statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency of the British Government said that the sheep tested positive was an ewe showing signs of mastitis, a swelling of the breast tissue, but no other clinical symptoms.

Ed Hutchinson of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research said that the fact the milk of sheep also tested positive, suggested parallels to the current H5N1 epidemic among dairy cows of the United States.

Since March 2024, bird flu has been spreading among U.S. milking cattle.

He said that at this time, there is no evidence that the virus has been transmitted from the sheep, and the outbreak appears to be contained.

The ewe had to be culled, and the rest of her flock was not infected.

Following the outbreaks of bird flu in dairy cows in America, the rural affairs ministry in Britain has begun to monitor livestock in premises where the virus has been confirmed.

Dr Meera Chand is the emerging infection lead for the UK Health Security Agency.

The risk of avian virus to the public is very low, according to current evidence. Reporting by Nigel Hunt, Sarah Young. Andrew Heavens, Mark Potter and Andrew Heavens edited the report.

(source: Reuters)