World’s first case of avian sheep flu found on a Yorkshire farm

The world’s first case of avian sheep flu has been discovered in the UK, the country’s chief veterinarian officer confirmed.

The exact location of the farm has not been disclosed, but a government spokesman said the incident was identified at a Yorkshire site where avian influenza was confirmed with prisoner birds.

A spokesperson said the single infected sheep were “humanically culled” and no further cases were found in the flock after “expanding testing.”

“There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk to the country’s livestock population,” they added.

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemis said “strict” measures have been put in place to prevent further spread of the disease.

She added: “While the risk to livestock remains low, it encourages all animal owners to ensure sophisticated and cleanliness is in place and immediately report any signs of infection to the animal and plant health agency.”

Avian influenza, also known as avian influenza or H5N1, is a disease caused by a virus that infects birds and sometimes other animals.

A government spokesman said that since 2021, people in the UK have had a “minority” cases of avian flu.

All bars were asymptomatic, but warned that the infection could be “severe.”

The infection was detected in people who “have had close and long-term contact with a large number of infected birds.”

The spokesman said the disease continues to infect new mammals and is spreading between them, “increasing the opportunity for the virus to evolve.”

“The concern is that at some point in these virus changes, it could allow them to spread easily among people.”

“It suggests that the circulating global bird flu virus that we see around the world doesn’t easily spread to people,” said Dr Meera Chand, the UK’s Health and Security Agency’s lead in emerging infectious diseases.

Dr Chand added: “The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low.”

The Environment, Rural Food (DEFRA) Agency said 1.78 million aquaculture and breeding birds were culled between November and February due to the spread of diseases across the UK.

A government spokesman said the infected sheep were women who had been showing signs of mastitis and inflammation of breast tissue.

The affected lamb tested negative for avian flu, the spokesman added.

According to DEFRA, this is the first time the virus has been reported in sheep anywhere in the world, but previously bird flu has been detected in livestock.

According to the American Public Health Agency, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dairy cows have been previously discovered in the United States.

The National Sheep Association (NSA), which expresses the views and interests of British sheep growers, said mixing different animals is “suspected at the best times, but should be avoided if you are experiencing mandatory housing measures for poultry due to an outbreak of avian flu.”

The Yorkshire Farm, where the case was found, was a small stock with sheep and poultry farms stored together, a spokesperson added.

NSA CEO Phil Stocker said the positive incident “is not a threat to consumer food safety.”

“It’s only natural that farmers understand that sheep flu was found in sheep,” said Tom Bradshaw, chairman of the National Farmers’ Union.

“This remains a single case among what is understood as a backyard flock, with no other infections found among the remaining sheep.

“Commercial producers continue to do everything they can to protect animals by following strict biosecurity measures.

“While the risk to the country’s livestock population remains low, it is important that all poultry, cattle, sheep and goat poultry keep high standards of biosecurity and stay vigilant against signs of illness.”

Defra has placed England in the “Avian Flu Protection Zone” to prevent and stop the spread of avian flu.

Also, 13 areas have introduced mandatory housing measures that state that birds must be kept inside.

They are Cheshire, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Shropshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire and York.

The Food Standards Agency said that properly cooked poultry and chicken products, including eggs, are safe.