The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has infected a human.
The rare infection was caused by close and prolonged contact with infected birds.
The individual was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit and is in good health at present.
There is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins at the UKHSA said: “The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case”.
Avian prevention zones have recently been declared in England, Scotland and Wales, enforcing strict biosecurity measures to keep birds separated from wild birds and prevent the spread of the disease.
On January 24, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ordered that the avian flu prevention zones be expanded to cover all of England.
The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said: “The UK remains prepared and ready to respond to any current and future health threats”.
He said: “We recently added the H5 vaccine, which protects against avian influenza to our stockpile as part of our preparedness plans”.
Globally, the H5N1 outbreak has continued to spread, infecting both humans and animals in multiple countries.
In the United States, the virus has reached dairy cattle and poultry, contributing to rising egg prices and supply chain distributions.
