Bird flu has been detected in sheep for the first time in the world, UK experts have announced, although they stress the risk to livestock and the general public is low.
The H5N1 virus was detected in a single animal in Yorkshire, England, after routine testing that was carried out because the flock was kept on a site where avian influenza had previously been found in birds. No other sheep in the flock was found to be infected.
The infected animal has since been culled, with the UK’s chief veterinary officer saying strict biosecurity measures have been implemented to prevent the further spread of disease.
“While the risk to livestock remains low, I urge all animal owners to ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place and to report any signs of infection to the Animal and Plant Health Agency immediately,” Christine Middlemiss said.
Bird flu can cause severe illness, including pneumonia, and even death – with experts tracking changes in the H5N1 virus carefully amid fears it could trigger a human pandemic.
While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes there is no evidence H5N1 passes from human to human, the virus has been detected in a wide range animals other than birds including cats, foxes, otters, bush dogs and pigs, with experts saying a new variant is endemic in dairy cows in the US.
The appearance of H5N1 in cows has been a shock for scientists, given it was previously thought such animals could not easily be infected with the virus.
H5N1 has also been found in humans, although such cases have largely been in dairy and poultry workers. The most recent case in the UK was reported in January, in a farm worker who is known to have had contact with a large number of infected birds.
Dr Meera Chand, the emerging infection lead at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “Globally, we continue to see that mammals can be infected with avian influenza A(H5N1). However, 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.”
Chand added UKHSA was prepared for the detection of the virus in humans and would respond rapidly with NHS and other partners if needed.
Robin May, the chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency said: “We are working very closely with [the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs], UKHSA and Food Standards Scotland following the discovery of avian influenza virus in a sheep in the UK.
“Our advice remains that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers since the H5N1 virus is not normally transmitted through food.”
