Human contracts bird flu on West Midlands farm 

A person in the West Midlands has contracted bird flu after “close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds”, said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). 

The case is one of only seven seen in the UK since 2021 and human-to-human transmission of bird flu has never been documented in Europe or the UK. The person, who had symptoms, was admitted to a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) unit, as is routine in these cases. Everyone in contact with the individual and those at highest risk of exposure “have been offered antiviral treatment”, said the UKHSA. 

Christine Middlemiss, UK chief veterinary officer, said: “While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises. We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds are being humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises will be undertaken all to strict biosecure standards. 

“Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help protect the health and welfare of your birds from avian flu and other diseases,”she added.