The UK government advised birdkeepers to stay alert following the detection of bird flu at a commercial poultry farm located in northern England, marking the second outbreak this year and the first of the current season.
On Tuesday, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed the identification of the H5N5 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu.
The virus was detected at a farm in Yorkshire, indicating that the UK is no longer considered free from bird flu according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) guidelines. All birds on the site are scheduled to be culled, and a protection zone of three kilometres (1.8 miles) has been established around the farm, located near the coastal town of Hornsea.
While the previous outbreak in February 2024 involved the H5N1 strain of the virus, the H5N5 strain detected this time aligns with earlier occurrences in Europe, as reported by DEFRA. Currently, no cases of bird flu have been reported during this outbreak in Wales or Scotland.
Although the danger to poultry is still low for locations with strong biosecurity measures, the threat level for wild birds has risen from medium to high.
From 2021 to 2023, the United Kingdom faced its most significant bird flu outbreak caused by the H5N1 strain, which resulted in the deaths of 3.8 million birds and led to the virus spreading extensively among wild bird populations.
According to a study conducted by conservationists at the start of 2024, some UK seabird populations experienced “extensive declines” during the period.
The disease primarily impacts birds, and the risk to public health remains minimal, as stated by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Nonetheless, scientists have expressed worries regarding the virus’s potential to transmit to and between mammals.