Human case of avian influenza detected in England
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed a case of influenza A(H5N1) in an individual located in the West Midlands region. The infection was acquired on a farm where the individual had close and prolonged contact with a substantial number of infected birds. Currently, the individual is in stable condition and has been admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit. The avian population was found to be infected with the DI.2 genotype, which is one of the variants known to be circulating among birds in the UK during the current season. This case was identified following an outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) detected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in a flock of birds. The UKHSA conducted routine monitoring of individuals who had been in close contact with the infected avian population.
Since 2021 in the UK, there have been seven human influenza A(H5N1) detections in total. This is the second detection in a symptomatic person, with the first case identified in 2022. In the other 5 detections, all individuals were asymptomatic. All detections have been in individuals with direct exposure to infected birds, and therefore asymptomatic detection may represent contamination of the respiratory tract or infection.