Thursday 29 September 2022 01:11 PM UK's biggest ever bird flu outbreaks leaves farmers 'terrified' trends now

What is it? Bird flu is the source of all human flus, as far as we know.

It often passes through another animal, such as a pig, in the process of mutating and adapting to infect us.

Wild birds are carriers, especially through migration.

As they cluster together to breed, the virus spreads rapidly and is then carried to other parts of the globe.

New strains tend to appear first in Asia, from where more than 60 species of shore birds, waders and waterfowl, including plovers, godwits and ducks, head off to Alaska to breed and mix with various migratory birds from the Americas. Others go west and infect European species. 

What strain is currently spreading? H5N1. 

So far the new virus has been detected in more than 22million birds and poultry globally since September 2021 — double the previous record the year before. 

Not only is the virus spreading at speed, it is also killing at an unprecedented level, leaving some experts to say this is the deadliest variant so far.

Millions of chickens in the UK have been culled and last November our poultry industry was put into lockdown, heavily affecting the availability of free-range eggs.

Can it infect people? Yes, but just 860 people have been infected with H5N1 globally since 2003 from 18 countries.

The risk to people has been deemed 'low'.

But people are strongly urged not to touch sick or dead birds because the virus is lethal, killing 53 per cent of people it does manage to infect. 

Should I be concerned? Not particularly.

Poultry farmers and people who handle wild birds are most at risk.

Scientists say there is a tiny chance a double infection of avian and seasonal flu could allow the current bird flu strain to adapt to be

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