In a surprising update, British health authorities confirmed that a person in central England has tested positive for H5N1, a type of bird flu. This is the first case of bird flu in a human in the UK in some time. However, officials are quick to reassure the public that the overall risk to people remains “very low.”
The individual, who is currently in good health, contracted the virus after being in close contact with infected birds on a farm. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) made it clear that the person had prolonged exposure to the birds, which is how they most likely became infected.
UK health experts are taking this situation seriously. They are carefully tracking everyone who may have come into contact with the person to offer antiviral treatment just in case. This helps prevent any further spread of the virus.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser for UKHSA, emphasized that the UK has strong systems in place to detect bird flu cases quickly and take necessary action. She explained that, while bird-to-human transmission of the flu is rare, it is important to stay vigilant.
Recently, authorities have discovered bird flu cases at several poultry farms, prompting them to cull (or remove) infected birds to stop the virus from spreading further. Thankfully, these types of infections are still very uncommon in humans, and the risk to the wider public remains low.
