The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed a case of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep in Yorkshire.
The case was identified following routine surveillance of co-located livestock on a premises where avian influenza had been confirmed in captive birds. Defra has introduced livestock surveillance on infected premises following the outbreak of avian influenza in dairy cows in the US.
The sheep was tested after H5N1 has been found in poultry on the farm, with blood and milk samples testing positive.
No threat to food safety
The National Sheep Association (NSA) emphasised the importance of biosecurity on holdings with poultry, but stressed that the case was confined to one small holding and was “not a food security risk”.
NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “This is not a threat to food safety of consumers and it’s very important to make that clear.
“What this shows, though, is the importance of biosecurity and an understanding of what biosecurity means. In the sheep industry, we often think the term just refers to buying in stock, but in this instance sheep and poultry have mixed on the same farm, resulting in the transmission of avian influenza.”
The infected sheep was humanely culled to enable extensive testing. Further testing in the remaining flock of sheep at the premises was undertaken by the avian influenza national reference laboratory at the Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge laboratory. No further infection with avian influenza virus was detected in the remaining flock and this remains a single case in a mammal detected on the premises.
Stocker added that mixing of species is “questionable at the best of times”, but should be avoided when England is undergoing a period of mandatory housing measures for poultry due to bird flu outbreaks.
“We want to do our utmost to retain our high health and welfare standards of the national flock.”
Helen Roberts, NSA Cymru
Helen Roberts, NSA Cymru development officer, says: “Although this news is not welcome at this time of year, it does give us the opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of good biosecurity, especially with lambing for many just around the corner, and to be vigilant with our flock. We want to do our utmost to retain our high health and welfare standards of the national flock.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “While this is the first time avian influenza virus has been detected in a sheep, it is not the first time influenza of avian origin has been detected in livestock in other countries. There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk to the nation’s livestock population.”
