The Health Security Agency announced on Tuesday that two poultry workers in the UK have tested positive for bird flu. However, they were asymptomatic, and there is no indication of human-to-human transmission. These are the first human cases in the UK since a 79-year-old man became infected after welcoming ducks into his home. The H5 strain was detected in the two workers, who were likely exposed to sick birds on the same farm. From November to mid-April, poultry farms were required to keep all birds indoors due to avian flu being discovered on dozens of farms. The agency stated that the general population’s risk of contracting bird flu is minimal, as avian influenza viruses circulating globally do not spread easily to humans. Contact tracing is being carried out as a precautionary measure.
2 UK poultry workers test positive for bird flu, no human transmission reported.
