The H5N1 pressure of fowl flu has the “potential to become a pandemic”, in accordance with an skilled on the UK Well being Safety Company.
Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and rising infections at UKHSA, defined that whereas the virus is “not new”, and the chance to the general public stays low, its options have modified in recent times.
It follows a confirmed case of fowl flu in a single sheep in England for the primary time on Monday.
“H5N1 has the potential to turn into a pandemic, a future pandemic. And in order that’s why we’re watching that so carefully and managing it so carefully.
“We know that the virus can infect other animal species. We need to clearly look into this a little bit more, understand better what’s happened here and understand what the risk is to human health,” he mentioned.
Evaluation: Authorities on excessive alert over fowl flu
The an infection was detected in a single sheep in Yorkshire after routine surveillance of livestock the place avian influenza H5N1 had been confirmed in captive birds.
On the time, Dr Meera Chand, rising an infection lead on the UKHSA, mentioned that “current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating around the world do not spread easily to people” and “the risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low”.
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In 2024, dairy cows examined constructive for the H5N1 pressure of fowl flu in a number of US states. Pic: AP
Human case in West Midlands
Mr Pebody mentioned: “H5N1 is not new. It’s been around for quite a long while. It first popped up in the back in the 1990s, mid-1990s, but it’s waxed and waned over the years. Over the past three or four years, its features have changed”.
Hen flu in folks is uncommon, though in January, an individual within the West Midlands area examined constructive after being contaminated whereas on a farm after “close and prolonged contact” with contaminated birds.
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Whereas folks might be contaminated from birds, it’s human-to-human transmission which actually issues scientists. Pic: iStock
What are the signs?
Signs can differ relying on the pressure however can embrace a flu-like sickness with fever, physique aches, cough, sore throat, sore eyes and runny nostril.
On Tuesday, the UKHSA printed its first annual report detailing the infectious illnesses impacting England, which included influenza A (H5N1) as an “emerging infection”, together with mpox and swine influenza.
It mentioned its fowl flu surveillance programmes, which contain taking samples from folks uncovered to contaminated birds, detected a “small number” of employees who had been asymptomatic [infected but not showing symptoms], with “one clinical infection in January 2025”.
“There has yet to be demonstrated human-to-human transmission of avian flu despite extensive recent surveillance,” the report added.
An inventory of “priority pathogens” printed by UKHSA additionally contains the viral household orthomyxoviridae, which influenza A viruses belong to.
In December, the federal government agreed a deal to purchase greater than 5 million doses of a vaccine for a pressure of fowl flu to bolster pandemic preparedness.
Mr Pebody mentioned: “We do must be ready for the subsequent rising an infection and certainly, the subsequent pandemic. In order that’s very a lot the core enterprise of the company.!
