A rare case of bird flu transmission to a human has been confirmed in the United Kingdom, authorities announced on January 27.
The patient, who was infected with the DI.2 genotype of avian influenza currently circulating in birds, contracted the virus after “close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds” on a farm in the West Midlands.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stressed that the risk to the general public remains low, as the patient did not spread the virus to others. “While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises,” said Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer.
The strain of bird flu involved in this case is different from the one that caused alarm in the United States last year, where concerns arose over human infections linked to the virus in poultry and dairy cows. However, no cases of person-to-person transmission have been reported in the U.S.
Experts have expressed concern about the potential for bird flu to evolve and spread among humans, raising fears of a future pandemic. “That possibility is one of the most feared infectious disease threats we face,” said Andrew Preston, a researcher at the University of Bath.
Despite these concerns, no human-to-human transmission has been detected in the UK, and genetic mutations needed for such transmission have not occurred. As a precaution, the UK government recently announced it is stockpiling five million bird flu vaccines for humans and has extended biosecurity requirements for bird keepers across England.
“There is always the risk that the virus can evolve and become better adapted to spread amongst humans,” said Jonathan Ball, a molecular virologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. “It’s important to be vigilant, to ensure good wild fowl and poultry surveillance, and when human cases do occur, to isolate the patient to remove the risk of onward transmission.”
