The United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency (HSA) today reported a human H5N1 avian flu infection in a person who had close and prolonged contact with a large number of sick birds on a farm, the UK’s first case since 2022.
Some European countries, including the UK, are battling H5N1 in poultry and wild birds, and on January 24, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ordered that the avian flu prevention zone be expanded to cover all of England.
The H5N1 detection in a human is the UK’s first since 2023 when surveillance detected infections in poultry workers.
Regarding the new case, the HSA said the patient is from the West Midlands region and that the patient is well and has been admitted to a high consequence infectious disease unit.
Farm birds infected with D1.2 genotype
Birds on the farm were infected with the DI.2 genotype, a virus known to be circulating in UK birds, the HSA said, emphasizing that the H5N1 strain is different than the one circulating in mammals and birds in the United States. Two patients with severe infections, one fatal, in the United States and Canada were infected with viruses that belonged to the different D1.1 genotype.
The HSA said it has been tracking all people who have had contact with infected animals and that no human-to-human spread has been detected.
Transmission risk low, but UK adds H5 vaccine to stockpile
Susan Hopkins, MB BCh, the HSA's chief medical adviser, said there is no indication of onward transmission related to the case. “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.”
Officials said birds on the affected farm are being culled, and Christine Middlemiss, DVM, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, said, “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.”
Andrew Gwynne, the UK’s minister for public health and prevention, said though the risk of onward transmission is low, the UK is ready to respond to future threats and recently added the H5 avian flu vaccine to its national stockpile.
Editor's note: This story was corrected on January 28 to accurately reflect the genotype of the UK patient's virus and earlier H5N1 detections in the UK.