Bird flu in the UK: what you need to know
Publication Date:15/11/2007
As government vets work to control an outbreak of bird flu in the UK, we answer the most common questions about the virus.
What is bird flu?
Birds can be affected by flu, just like humans. There are several types of bird flu (also called avian flu). Some types do birds little harm, but others can kill whole flocks in just a few days.
A particularly severe strain of bird flu emerged in 2003, called H5N1. It has spread widely in several Asian countries, and led to the death or destruction of millions of birds. There have been more limited outbreaks in flocks of birds in some European countries.
Can humans catch it?
H5N1 sometimes passes to humans who have very close contact with infected birds, such as poultry workers. The virus is spread to humans mainly through bird droppings. But H5N1 doesn't pass easily from birds to humans. Many millions of birds have been affected by H5N1, but there have been only 335 confirmed human cases worldwide, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Although this is worrying, it is a small number of people overall, considering how many people across the world come into contact with birds.
When people do catch H5N1, it can make them dangerously ill. Of the 335 people confirmed to have been infected by H5N1, 206 have died.
There have been outbreaks of bird flu among birds in the UK, but so far no humans have been affected. In March 2006, a dead swan in Scotland was found to be infected with H5N1. And in February 2007, birds at a turkey farm in Suffolk were found to have the virus.
Can bird flu pass from person to person?
There are no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission. There have been cases of people in close contact with an infected person going on to catch H5N1, so it's impossible to rule out one-off cases of the virus being passed from person to person. However, H5N1 certainly can't pass easily between humans. For most people, this limits the danger, as the infection almost always comes from direct contact with infected birds.
Does the latest outbreak in the UK pose a risk?
The latest outbreak is at a farm near Diss, on the border between Suffolk and Norfolk. Tests show that turkeys at the farm are infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
The risk to the public from H5N1 is currently extremely small. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), people only catch H5N1 "very rarely and with difficulty".
Most human cases of H5N1 have happened in countries where people are in regular, close contact with birds, and keep small flocks in their yards or close to their homes.
To control the current outbreak in the UK, and to prevent the virus spreading to other farms or to wild birds in the area, birds at the farm are being destroyed and transport restrictions have been put in place. Birds at nearby farms are to be kept indoors.
Workers at farms affected by H5N1 are being given flu vaccines and antiviral medicines as a precaution. The flu vaccine is given to stop poultry workers getting human flu and bird flu at the same time. It doesn't protect against H5N1, although vaccines that will are being developed. Protective clothing, gloves, goggles and breathing masks will also help protect people who work with infected birds, along with simple hygiene measures like hand washing.
Can I still eat poultry?
According to the Food Standards Agency, the government food-safety watchdog, there's no danger from eating turkey, chicken or other poultry. Birds from farms affected by H5N1 in the UK are destroyed, and poultry imports are banned from other countries affected by H5N1.
Even if infected birds did enter the human food supply, cooking would kill the virus. It's recommended that you cook poultry thoroughly, until there's no pink visible and the juices run clear. Eggs should be cooked until the white is solid.
Why are scientists worried?
Although current strains of H5N1 aren't a big danger for humans, scientists are worried because flu viruses can easily adapt. If someone caught bird flu at the same time as having human flu, the two viruses could exchange genetic material. In the worst-case scenario, this could create a new strain of flu that spreads easily from person to person.
A new strain of human flu could be dangerous, because people's immune systems wouldn't have had time to learn how to fight it. The new virus could infect millions of people around the world, causing a flu pandemic.
Can bird flu be treated?
Drugs that fight viruses can be used to treat bird flu in humans. Some research suggests they may increase people's chance of survival if given within a few days of getting symptoms. The government has stockpiled enough doses of an antiviral drug called oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu) to treat a quarter of the people in Britain.
Scientists are also developing vaccines to prevent H5N1. It's not known whether these would help if H5N1 adapted into a form that passed easily between humans. It would depend on how similar the new, human flu virus was to the bird flu virus.
If a flu pandemic happened, vaccines could be developed to treat the virus, but it would take time. The government is making arrangements that will allow millions of doses of the flu vaccine to be manufactured as quickly as possible after a strain of pandemic flu is identified.
Is there anything I should do?
There's little reason to worry about any immediate danger from bird flu. But if you want to avoid normal human flu, and you are over 65 or have a long-term medical condition, you can get a flu vaccine from your GP.
If you live near the farm affected by H5N1 and are concerned, you can find more by calling the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77, open between 6.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. on weekdays.
Defra is also asking people to report dead gulls, ducks, geese or swans in some parts of the UK, or groups of 10 or more dead birds in any part of the country. You can report dead birds using the same helpline, 08459 33 55 77.
If you are travelling to countries where many birds are affected by H5N1, such as Indonesia, the World Health Organisation advises that you avoid poultry markets or places where lots of birds are kept or slaughtered. There's no risk from eating poultry in these countries, so long as it's properly cooked.
From:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Avian Influenza H5 confirmed on Suffolk/Norfolk border. Available at http://www.defra.gov.uk (accessed on 14 November 2007).
Department of Health. Bird flu and pandemic influenza: what are the risks? Available at http://www.dh.gov.uk (accessed on 14 November 2007).
World Health Organisation. Cumulative number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza A/(H5N1) reported to WHO. Available at http://www.who.int (accessed on 14 November 2007).
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© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
