England: Two poultry workers contract avian influenza
Two poultry workers in the U.K. have tested positive for avian influenza H5, but they are asymptomatic and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, according to the Health Security Agency. These are the first human cases in the U.K. since an elderly man contracted the virus from ducks in his home. The infected poultry workers were likely exposed to sick birds at an unidentified farm. The positive tests were discovered through screening of exposed poultry workers, but subsequent tests showed negative results. Contact tracing is being carried out as a precautionary measure.
In the United Kingdom, there have been 183 confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 since 1 October 2022:
153 cases in England
21 cases in Scotland
8 cases in Wales
1 case in Northern Ireland
There have been 286 cases of (HPAI) H5N1 in England since the H5N1 outbreak started in October 2021.
