New bird flu variant in American cows unlikely to impact Britain, says chief vet

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The new hybrid variant of bird flu spreading in American cows is no more dangerous to human health and the public should be “reassured” it is unlikely to impact Britain, the chief vet said.

Some experts have called for screening of cattle and milk in the UK for signs of any avian influenza in domestic herds amid the US outbreak, but the Government has not done so, instead relying on import regulations and information being shared by US scientists.

Bird flu has now affected 39 herds of dairy cattle across nine US states and viral avian influenza particles have been found in the milk of sick cows. Some farm cats that have drunk raw and infected milk have died.

Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, told The Telegraph the genetics of the flu strain in cattle in the US “have changed a bit” but not to the point of concern.

“It doesn’t seem to have become greatly more infectious for people and transmissible to people,” she said. “I think that’s supported by the fact that only one person has been confirmed with the disease.

“The public should also hopefully be reassured that [the US] is testing and this is what they’re seeing, and it’s being shared.”

The Government’s Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group (HAIRS), which brings together public health and veterinary disease experts to assess the threat to both animals and people, has been convened to discuss the evolving situation, The Telegraph can reveal.

Low risk for people

The most recent HAIRS report for avian influenza was published in July 2023 and came in the wake of clade 2.3.4.4b of the H5N1 virus running rampant in wild bird populations and poultry farms.

It found the risk to the UK general population was “very low”, “low” for people who work with healthy birds, and there is also a “low” risk of the virus to non-bird animals.

A new report has now been drafted and is understood to be published in a matter of weeks. It will include a new genetic analysis of the bovine-borne virus, the risk of spillover to people and the threat to health.

Prof James Wood, head of the department of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, told The Telegraph the type of bird flu in the US cattle ranches is a combination of the potent H5N1 strain that recently spread globally and a different bird flu strain circulating in North America.

“This virus appears to have emerged (reassorted) several months ago,” he said. “Because this effectively is a new virus, there is a lot of uncertainty around what its characteristics are.”

Dr Middlemiss said these developments have been considered by HAIRS in the last few weeks “as this new information has emerged”.

“They have looked specifically at the risk of what this means, including the risk of transmission from animals to people,” she told the Telegraph in an exclusive interview at the Animal and Plant Health Agency headquarters and laboratories in Weybridge.

“Their report is in draft but it will be coming out soon. They have specifically looked at this issue. HAIRS is our animal and public health experts and they have looked very closely at it.”

She added that the UK imports “a tiny amount” of milk products from the US, and none of it is raw.

Dr Middlemiss said colleagues in the US are sending over real-time information on the genetic changes of the virus and there is ongoing monitoring.

Threats ‘appear to be contained’

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has reportedly set up an emergency response team in Whitehall to monitor the situation and has not committed to testing domestic cattle.

Some scientists have criticised the government’s reluctance to test milk or cows in the UK, but Prof Wood said the fact there is no importation of high-risk products protects Britain from the new form of bird flu in the US.

“The immediate public and animal health threats to us in the UK appear to be contained, but very close attention to the situation is warranted,” he said.

He added that the genome of the new hybrid virus does have some adaptations that make it better at infecting mammals, “but nothing startling has been observed”.

Prof Wood also called the approach of the UK Government, which has pushed back on calls for ramped-up testing in Britain, “proportionate and sensible”.