First Case Of Bird Flu In Sheep Found On Uk Farm

The world's first lawsuit of vertebrate flu successful sheep has been recovered successful nan UK, nan nation's main veterinary serviceman has confirmed.

The nonstop location of nan workplace has not been revealed, but a authorities spokesperson said nan lawsuit was identified connected a tract successful Yorkshire wherever vertebrate flu had been confirmed successful captive birds.

The spokesperson said nan azygous infected sheep had been "humanely culled" and nary further cases among nan flock were recovered aft "extensive testing".

"There is nary grounds to propose an accrued consequence to nan nation's livestock population," they added.

Christine Middlemiss, nan UK's main veterinary officer, said "strict" measures had been put successful spot to forestall nan further dispersed of nan disease.

She added: "While nan consequence to livestock remains low, I impulse each animal owners to guarantee scrupulous cleanliness is successful spot and to study immoderate signs of infection to nan Animal Plant Health Agency immediately."

Bird flu, besides known arsenic avian influenza aliases H5N1, is simply a illness caused by a microorganism that infects birds and sometimes different animals.

A authorities spokesperson said location had been a "small number" of cases of vertebrate flu successful humans successful nan UK since 2021.

All barroom 1 had been asymptomatic, though they warned nan infection "can beryllium serious".

The infections were detected successful group who had "close and prolonged interaction pinch a ample number of infected birds".

The spokesperson said nan illness continued to infect caller mammals and dispersed betwixt them, "increasing nan opportunities nan microorganism has to evolve".

"The interest is that these changes successful nan microorganism whitethorn astatine immoderate constituent let it to dispersed readily betwixt people."

Dr Meera Chand, emerging infection lead astatine nan UK Health Security Agency, said existent grounds "suggests that nan avian influenza viruses we're seeing circulating astir nan world do not dispersed easy to people".

Dr Chand added: "The consequence of avian flu to nan wide nationalist remains very low."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said 1.78 cardinal farmed and captive birds had been culled betwixt November and February owed to nan dispersed of nan illness crossed nan UK.

A authorities spokesperson said nan infected sheep was a female who had been showing signs of mastitis, an inflammation of nan udder tissue.

The lambs of nan affected ewe tested antagonistic for vertebrate flu, nan spokesperson added.

While this is nan first clip this microorganism has been reported successful a sheep anyplace successful nan world, vertebrate flu has antecedently been detected successful livestock successful different countries, according to Defra.

According to nan American nationalist wellness agency nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases person antecedently been recovered successful nan US successful dairy cows.

The National Sheep Association (NSA), which represents nan views and interests of sheep producers successful nan UK, said mixing different animals was "questionable astatine nan champion of times, but should beryllium avoided erstwhile England is undergoing a play of mandatory lodging measures for poultry owed to vertebrate flu outbreaks".

The Yorkshire workplace wherever nan lawsuit was recovered was a smallholding wherever sheep and poultry were being kept together, a spokesperson added.

NSA main executive Phil Stocker said nan affirmative lawsuit was "not a threat to nutrient information of consumers".

National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said: "Farmers are understandably concerned that avian influenza has been recovered successful a sheep.

"This remains a azygous lawsuit wrong what is understood to beryllium a backyard flock, and nary different infection has been recovered amongst nan remaining sheep.

"Commercial producers proceed to do each they tin to protect their animals by pursuing strict biosecurity measures.

"While nan consequence to nan nation's livestock organization remains low, it's captious that each keepers of domesticated poultry, cattle, sheep and goats support precocious standards of biosecurity and stay vigilant for immoderate signs of disease."

Defra has placed England successful an "avian influenza protection zone" to forestall vertebrate flu and extremity it spreading.

Thirteen regions person besides seen mandatory lodging measures introduced, which authorities that birds must beryllium kept inside.

They are Cheshire, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Shropshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire, and York.

The Food Standards Agency said decently cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remained safe to eat.