Protecting TTE readers
Advice from the UKHSA on Avian Influenza
Dear TTE readers, this is advice from the UKHSA, given for your protection, to minimise the risk of catching avian influenza.
Avian influenza (bird flu) is an infectious disease that primarily affects birds, caused by the influenza A virus. Some birds will not show signs of avian influenza infection, so it is not always possible to know if birds are infected with, or have died from, avian influenza.
People can sometimes catch avian influenza from birds through close contact with infected birds, their feathers or poo, or other things that the infected bird has touched or been in, such as ponds, nest sites or feeding areas. Avian influenza infection in people is rare but can be very serious in some cases.
Given that the UKHSA has your safety at heart, we have summarised the actions into different levels you should take if you come into contact with live or dead garden birds at your home:
Level 1 Advice:
Under no circumstances approach a dead bird in a skirt or shorts or a t-shirt, in…
