NHS shares key signs of bird flu as first human case in years found in UK

The NHS has issued a warning that symptoms of bird flu can appear "very quickly" and may lead to "severe" complications, as England reported its first human case in years. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified an individual with avian influenza in the West Midlands.

This type of transmission from birds to humans is considered "rare" by the Government agency, with only a few instances previously recorded in the UK. The patient has been infected with the H5N1 strain, which has not been seen in a human since 2022.

The UKHSA disclosed that the infection occurred on a farm where the individual had "close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds". The person is now being treated in a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit and is described as "currently well".

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Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, provided an update saying: "The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this confirmed case. We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur.

"Currently there is no evidence of onwards transmission from this case. People are reminded not to touch sick or dead birds and it’s important that they follow Defra advice about reporting any suspected avian influenza cases."

And UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss added: “While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises. We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds are being humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises will be undertaken all to strict biosecure standards.

“This is a reminder that stringent biosecurity is essential when keeping animals. We are seeing a growing number of avian flu cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country.

“Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help protect the health and welfare of your birds from the threat of avian influenza and other diseases.”

Symptoms

The NHS states that the main symptoms of bird flu can appear “very quickly”. These include:

• A cough or shortness of breath

• Aching muscles

• Headache

• A very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery

However, other early symptoms may include:

• Diarrhoea

• Stomach pain

• Conjunctivitis

• Chest pain

• Sickness

• Bleeding from the nose and gums

The NHS says: “It usually takes three to five days for the first symptoms to appear after you've been infected. Within days of symptoms appearing, it's possible to develop more severe complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

“Getting treatment quickly, using antiviral medicine, may prevent complications and reduce the risk of developing severe illness.”

It is very unlikely to contract avian flu from another human. The illness is typically spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive).

This includes:

• Touching infected birds

• Killing or preparing infected poultry for cooking

• Markets where live birds are sold can also be a source of bird flu

• Touching droppings or bedding

You should use NHS 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or call NHS 111 if you experience any symptoms of bird flu and have visited an area affected by bird flu in the past 10 days. If you're abroad you should seek medical help straight away if you get the symptoms of bird flu and contact your travel insurance company if you need advice about where to get help.