Unprecedented Rise in H5N1 Avian Flu Outbreaks in the UK

The United Kingdom is currently witnessing an alarming increase in H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks among commercial poultry, with a total of ten cases reported in the past two weeks. Adding to the concerns, Ireland also noted a similar outbreak involving a small backyard flock on July 31.

The two most recent outbreaks in the UK were confirmed at commercial farms located in East Devon and West Devon.

Remarkably, last summer saw no poultry outbreaks from March to early April. Prior to this surge in cases, British authorities had even decreased the threat level for farmers after five consecutive weeks without new detections. Mike Coston, a retired paramedic and a seasoned tracker of avian flu developments on the Avian Flu Diary, noted, “While this spate of summer HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] outbreaks could prove to be little more than a transient event, it represents a change in the typical summer pattern—and is worth keeping our eye on.”

Sporadic H5 Detections Across Other Regions

Other countries are also reporting recent H5 detections in poultry. Taiwan, Canada, and Cambodia all confirmed outbreaks in the past few weeks, as per the latest weekly update from the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, which compiles notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health.

In the United States, the last confirmed outbreak occurred in early July and involved a game bird farm in Pennsylvania.

Source: CIDRAP