Mammals infected as bird flu 'jumps' to other species

Bird flu has spread to mammals as the UK faces the biggest-ever outbreak of the virus. Hundreds of cases have been reported in birds since the latest outbreak began in October 2021, with millions culled by farmers in a bid to prevent the disease from spreading. Now foxes and otters have been infected, and are believed to have eaten dead wild birds that were infected with avian flu.

- LUKE O'REILLY

Cases have been reported in Cheshire, Fife, the Shetland isles, the Isle of Skye and Cornwall. There has only been one case so far in 2023. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) tested 66 mammals, with nine otters and foxes testing positive. Bird flu has led to the death of around 208 million birds around the world, the BBC reports.

But the UK is still "a long way" from being in a situation where bird flu could infect humans and spread in a similar way to Covid-19, an expert from APHA has said. Health officials have said the risk to the public is low. Professor Ian Brown, scientific services director, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've recently detected events both here and around the world, evidence that this virus can on certain occasions jump into other species. To be clear though, this is still a bird virus essentially, that wants to be in birds.