Bird flu has spread to mammals in Britain. So how concerned should humans be? | british news

The bird flu has been slowly getting closer to home since the outbreak began in October 2021.

First there were headlines about poultry being culled, then there was a shortage of Christmas turkeys and deserted supermarket shelves that were once stacked high with eggs.

Now, bird flu has spread to mammals in Britain, and otters and foxes have tested positive for the virus.

Now that COVID is in its fourth year, people are naturally wary of the possibility of another pandemic sweeping through the population.

Avian flu may not be the next Omicron, but the potential for viral mutations means scientists are watching.

In which animal has avian flu been found?

The Animal and Plant Health Authority (APHA) on Thursday confirmed that five foxes and four otters in England, Scotland and Wales since 2021 have tested positive for avian flu.

The UK isn’t alone in seeing the virus grow in mammals. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), it has been found worldwide in domestic cats, grizzly bears, dolphins and leopards.

In October of last year, minks started dying on a farm in Spain. Tests showed that he had H5N1 avian flu.

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2:38 Worst bird flu outbreak in British history

How concerned should I be about avian flu in mammals?

The mink farm’s spread set off alarm bells. In most cases where mammals get sick, including otters and foxes in England, it’s likely from eating infected wild birds or their droppings.

But on mink farms, the virus seemed to spread from cage to cage and from animal to animal.

According to a report in Nature, genetic sequencing showed that minks were infected with a new strain of H5N1. It contains genetic changes that mean the animal flu virus is better able to reproduce in mammals.

A UKHSA risk assessment in January concluded that overt transmission between minks was of “a grave concern”, but said there was “no clear evidence” that this had occurred in any other mammalian species.

According to Dr Alastair Ward, Associate Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, of the variants found in mammals in the UK, “at present there is no reason to suspect that the jump is due to a change in the genetic makeup of the virus”. at the University of Leeds.

He said foxes and otters are known to forage, and the bird carcasses likely had a high viral load.

“It is possible that these high exposures overwhelm the mammalian immune system and lead to infection,” he said.

What does this mean for humans?

Just because avian flu has been found in mammals doesn’t mean humans are next.

As Dr. Ward points out, “Humans rarely come into contact with wild foxes or otters, and potentially infectious contacts are even rarer.”

Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, said the jump to another species provides an opportunity for viruses to adapt to mammals, but “the natural barriers for this to happen are quite high.”

“So, right now, the risk to people doesn’t seem to be any more than direct transmission from infected birds.”

However, low risk does not mean risk free.

The kicker is the phrase “right now.” The Pirbright Institute, which conducts research on viral diseases in animals, warns that new strains of avian flu viruses are frequently created, which means “there is a continuing risk that one of the new strains could easily spread among people.”

If this happens, we could be facing a new influenza virus pandemic.

It points out that the virus responsible for all four global human influenza pandemics over the past 100 years is of avian origin.

what’s going on?

APHA has stepped up its surveillance program to track all cases of mammal-to-mammal transmission of the virus.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Professor Jones said Defra and the mandated administration are supporting programs that actively seek out mammals that can prey on wild birds.

“When a virus is detected, it is analyzed and that data is shared very quickly with public health officials, so we can make a clear and fast assessment.”

“By analyzing a virus’s genetic code, we can figure out whether it came from a bird or whether it passed from one mammal to another,” he added.

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