Hen flu: How widespread is the virus amongst people and what are the signs?

An individual in southwest England has been recognized as affected by a “very uncommon” case of hen flu, the UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) has introduced.

The person involved turned contaminated after “very shut, common contact with a lot of contaminated birds, which they saved in and round their dwelling over a chronic time frame”, the UKHSA stated.

All of their contacts have been traced and there’s no proof that others have turn into contaminated, based on officers, who stated the individual was “at present nicely and self-isolating”, the contaminated birds had been culled and that the World Well being Organisation has been notified.

Hen to human transmission of hen flu – also referred to as avian flu – is uncommon and has solely occurred a small variety of instances within the UK, with the danger described as “low” and the UKHSA insisting the current occasion was merely considered one of “routine monitoring” however that the general public had been reminded to not contact lifeless birds.

The UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, stated: “Whereas avian influenza is extremely contagious in birds, it is a very uncommon occasion and may be very particular to the circumstances on this premises.”

Final month, the chief vet warned of a “phenomenal degree” of hen flu in Britain following the culling of tens of hundreds of farmed birds.

What’s hen flu?

In line with the NHS, avian influenza is an infectious kind of flu that spreads amongst our feathered buddies however solely not often infects people.

There are a number of strains of hen flu and most don’t infect human beings in any respect.

Strains that may infect people don’t achieve this simply, although there have been some instances and deaths linked to an infection from hen flu.

How does it unfold to people?

Avian influenza is unfold to people by means of shut contact with an contaminated animal, lifeless or alive. It’s unfold by means of bodily fluids corresponding to faeces, saliva and nasal droplets.

Touching an contaminated hen or coming into contact with its droppings or bedding, or making ready its meat for consumption, could cause a human to turn into contaminated.

In line with the NHS, locations corresponding to livestock markets in areas the place there was an outbreak might put you at higher threat of catching hen flu.

Nonetheless, you can not get it from consuming totally cooked meat or eggs from an contaminated hen, based on the well being service.

Can it’s transmitted between people and the way?

Whereas it’s not simply transmissible for hen flu to cross from human to human, it has occurred earlier than. Like regular flu, it’s unfold by means of shut private contact the place the virus is current in droplets within the air.

Peter Horby, professor of rising infectious ailments and director of the Pandemic Sciences Centre on the College of Oxford, instructed The Impartial: “A lot of the uncommon avian or hen flu viruses that crossover should not very nicely tailored to people so they have an inclination to simply trigger the odd case from time to time, with no onward transmission.

“So, on this case, you’d need to intently monitor the shut contacts of this individual. However, the chances are, there’ll be no onward transmission. We now have to look at these very rigorously as a result of typically you do get an animal virus that’s well-adapted to people or turns into tailored to people after which it’s a pandemic threat.”