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H5N1 confirmed in England

03 February 2007

United Kingdom

The affected farm has 160,000 turkeys, but only one of the 22 sheds that house the birds has been involved so far. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is enforcing EU-agreed controls to contain the outbreak.  The controls involve setting up a protection zone with a radius of three kilometers and a surveillance zone of 10 kilometers around the infected farm.

Previously A/H5N1 has only been reported once in the UK, in a single wild swan in Scotland in March 2006. It appeared likely that the swan had been infected elsewhere, died at sea, and its carcass washed ashore. As avian influenza virus still cannot pass easily from person to person, there is no need for public alarm. There appears to be little risk for travelers and expatriates at this time. Most or all humans infected have been in close contact with sick birds, or had unprotected contact with an infected family member.

Avian flu mainly affects poultry and waterfowl. Avian influenza A/H5N1, also known as "bird flu", is a disease that kills domestic poultry flocks. The outbreak began in several South East Asian countries has spread into Russia, Europe and Africa. More than 50 countries have reported cases among birds, and ten of these have also reported human infections. The virus is contained in the excrement of infected birds, and most people who have contracted bird flu work with or live near poultry. The human mortality rate is approximately 60 percent.  Possibility of a human influenza pandemic from bird flu is a global concern. The A/H5N1 virus may undergo genetic changes that would allow it to spread easily from human to human. If this occurred, the world could face a pandemic similar to the one in 1917-18, the Spanish Flu pandemic. At this time, the virus does not have the ability to spread easily from human to human.

International SOS is the world’s leading provider of Pandemic Preparedness Consulting services. For more information on Avian Flu and Pandemic Preparedness, please visit International SOS’ pandemic preparedness website.

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