Hen flu has been detected in a sheep in northern England, the primary recognized case of its form on the earth, Britain’s authorities stated, including to the rising checklist of mammals contaminated by the illness and fueling fears of a pandemic.
Many various mammals have died of the H5N1 chicken flu virus throughout the globe together with bears, cats, dairy cows, canines, dolphins, seals and tigers.
“The case was recognized following routine surveillance of farmed livestock on a premises in Yorkshire the place extremely pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) had been confirmed in different captive birds,” Britain’s authorities stated in an announcement.
There have been circumstances amongst people which have ranged in severity from no signs to, in uncommon circumstances, demise. However there has not but been any confirmed transmission between people.
The sheep that examined constructive was a ewe with indicators of mastitis, an irritation of breast tissue, and no different medical indicators, the assertion from the British authorities’s Division for Surroundings, Meals and Rural Affairs, and the Animal and Plant Well being Company stated.
Ed Hutchinson, professor of molecular and mobile virology, MRC-College of Glasgow Centre for Virus Analysis, stated the truth that the sheep’s milk additionally examined constructive urged parallels with the continued H5N1 outbreak amongst dairy cows in america.
Hen flu has unfold amongst U.S. dairy cattle since March 2024.
He added, nonetheless, for the time being there was no proof of ongoing transmission from the sheep and the case appeared to have been contained.
The ewe was culled and no additional an infection was present in the remainder of the flock.
Britain’s rural affairs ministry has launched surveillance of livestock on premises the place chicken flu has been confirmed in captive birds following the outbreaks amongst dairy cows in america.
“Globally, we proceed to see that mammals might be contaminated with avian influenza (H5N1),” Dr Meera Chand, rising an infection lead on the UK Well being Safety Company, stated.
“Nonetheless, present proof means that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating world wide don’t unfold simply to folks – and the chance of avian flu to most people stays very low.”
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt and Sarah Younger; modifying by Andrew Heavens and Mark Potter)
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