Human case of avian flu detected in England as virus spreads among birds

The person with bird flu is in hospital but well after contact with a large number of infected birds, the UKHSA said. Strict hygiene orders are now in place for fowls. Photograph: Alamy

A human case of highly pathogenic bird flu has been detected in England, authorities have said, as bird flu cases escalate across the country.

It is only the second symptomatic human case of H5N1 bird flu recorded in the UK, after the first was detected in 2022, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.