The government has urged livestock farmers to remain vigilant
Bird flu has been detected in a sheep in England for the first time, the government has confirmed.
The case of the H5N1 virus was found on a farm in Yorkshire where bird flu had previously been confirmed in captive birds, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer said.
All affected birds and the infected sheep have been “humanely culled” to limit the spread of bird flu, also known as avian influenza. No other cases were detected in the remaining flock, the government said.
This is the first time bird flu has been detected in a sheep, however, the government said it was not the first time it had been detected in livestock in other countries. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the risk to the general public remains “very low”.
The confirmed case follows a large number of outbreaks of avian flu in birds across the country. On January 27, 2025, the UKHSA reported a rare human case of bird flu in England after the individual had “close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds” on a farm.
Following the confirmed sheep infection, the UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, has urged all livestock keepers to remain vigilant and maintain “scrupulous cleanliness”.
She said: “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 UKHSA has said that bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low, but warned that people should not touch any dead or sick wild birds.
Dr Meera Chand, Emerging Infection Lead at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Globally, we continue to see that mammals can be infected with avian influenza A(H5N1). However, current evidence suggests that the avian influenza viruses we’re seeing circulating around the world do not spread easily to people – and the risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low.
“UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely alongside Defra, DHSC, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency. UKHSA has established preparations in place for detections of human cases of avian flu and will respond rapidly with NHS and other partners if needed.”
Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remain safe to eat, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which says the virus is not normally transmitted through food.
Robin May, Chief Scientific Adviser at the FSA said: “We are working very closely with Defra, UKHSA and Food Standards Scotland following the discovery of avian influenza virus in a sheep in the UK. Our advice remains that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk to UK consumers since the H5N1 virus is not normally transmitted through food.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will assess any emerging information to continue to ensure UK food is safe.”