14 July 2023 , 12:28
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A bird flu outbreak could be spreading across Europe as two more Brits have been diagnosed with H5N1, health chiefs have said.
A UK Health Security Agency spokesman told the Mirror: "There have now been a total of 4 detections through this programme, which was launched in March and aims to detect possible animal to human infections in people who are exposed to infected birds.
"As of 10 July 2023, 144 individuals from eight infected premises have been tested through enhanced surveillance of poultry workers."
Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, said: "Current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating in birds around the world do not spread easily to people.
"However, we know already that the virus can spread to people following close contact with infected birds and this is why, through surveillance programmes like this one, we are monitoring people who have been exposed to learn more about these risks.
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Dead birds being cleared in Northumberland"These detections can follow contamination of the nose and throat from breathing in material from the environment, or can be due to infection. It can be difficult to distinguish these in people who have no symptoms. Following any detection, we will immediately initiate the appropriate public health response."
UKHSA says it is working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to assess the risk to human health from avian influenza.
At the current risk level for avian influenza, precautionary measures to enhance influenza surveillance, including surveillance for evidence of severe disease via NHS Intensive Care Units is carried out.
Pelican carcass washed up on the beaches of Lima (Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)The virus is usually picked up through close contact with an infected bird.
Back in March, an 11-year-old Cambodian girl from the southeastern province of Prey Veng died shortly after tests confirmed she had Type A H5N1 bird flu.
The child is believed to have been infected by poultry kept by her family, with Sky News reporting that the virus had mutated.
Dr Erik Karlsson, whose team decoded the genetic sequence of the girl's virus, told the broadcaster: "There are some indications that this virus has gone through a human.
"Any time these viruses get into a new host they'll have certain changes that allow them to replicate a little bit better or potentially bind to the cells in our respiratory tract a little bit better."
He went on to say the mutations were unlikely to have happened in the girl, but instead probably existed in a 'cloud' of viruses with random genetic changes inside birds.
"Just getting into a new host allows those one or two viruses in that cloud to survive better and become the dominant population," he said.
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