Avian influenza strains find new hosts

THE UK in late January confirmed its first human case of H5N1 avian influenza in three years. The case involves a poultry worker who contracted the virus after prolonged contact with infected birds, marking a rare instance of bird-to-human transmission in the country, says a statement released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on January 27.

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Genomic analysis reveals that the infected birds carry the D1.2 genotype, a strain circulating in UK birds in recent months. This strain differs from the ones circulating among mammals and birds in the US (B3.13 and D1.1), says UKHSA.