A sheep infected with bird flu will ring another alarm bell as the virus continues to drift into mammals.
It’s the first time anywhere in the world that a sheep is known to have been infected. It just happens to have been in Yorkshire.
But the H5N1 virus is also found quite widely in US dairy cattle. And Sky News revealed in December that horses can harbour the virus too.
These are ‘spill-over’ infections, with the bird virus jumping species. That’s a concern, particularly if the virus shows signs of adapting to mammalian cells.
And the close contact that humans have with domesticated animals is an extra worry because the virus has more opportunities to jump species again.
The UK is in another wave of H5N1, with large areas now part of avian influenza prevention zones. Millions of poultry have been culled in recent months.
Wild mammals are also being affected. Most recently the virus has been detected in dead seals in north Norfolk.
But foxes, otters, dolphins and porpoises have also been found to have the virus.
The Animal Plant Health Agency is closely monitoring the situation.
Ever since the outbreak in US dairy cattle, it has started routine testing of livestock on UK farms with infected poultry.
That’s how this ewe was detected, with H5 antibodies in her blood and genetic material from the virus in her milk.
Fortunately, all the other sheep on the farm were negative, but the animal was culled.
Read more:
What you should know about bird flu in the UK
Bird flu restrictions in place in England and Scotland
Swift action like that reduces the chances of the virus evolving genetic…
