First case of bird flu confirmed in sheep in the UK, as government urges farmers to be vigilant

The infected animal was identified on a farm in Yorkshire where avian influenza H5N1 had already been detected in captive birds, confirmed the UK Health Security Agency.

The infection was found during routine surveillance and repeat positive milk testing on the premises, as part of wider monitoring efforts prompted by a recent outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows in the United States.

The affected sheep was humanely culled, and no further cases have been identified within the flock, the government said.

Although it marks the first official detection of bird flu in a sheep, authorities stressed that this does not indicate a broader threat to the UK’s farm animal population. Cases of avian influenza in livestock have previously been reported in other countries.

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss confirmed the findings in a statement: “We have confirmed the detection of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep on a farm in Yorkshire. Strict biosecurity measures have been implemented to prevent the further spread of disease.

“While the risk to livestock remains low, I urge all animal owners to ensure scrupulous cleanliness is in place and to report any signs of infection to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately.”

The National Sheep Association (NSA) also addressed the incident, emphasising that it was isolated and poses no risk to food safety.

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.”

He added that the mixing of livestock should be avoided, especially when mandatory housing measures are in place for poultry in certain regions due to ongoing bird flu concerns.

Professor Ian Brown, group leader at the Pirbright Institute, said the detection was “not an unexpected finding” given the proximity of the sheep to infected birds.

“It is too early to consider whether such a virus is capable of onward spread within sheep but this was an isolated small holding with a small number of birds and sheep,” he said. “It does emphasise the importance of separating species and maintaining good farm hygiene.”