How to stay safe and informed amidst the ongoing bird flu outbreak

In our latest blog, Professor Dominic Mellor, Consultant in Veterinary Public Health, provides an update on the ongoing outbreak of bird flu that has swept across the globe and offers helpful advice to both the public and those who keep birds that can help minimise the risk of the virus being spread.

Every year, our shores welcome flocks of migratory birds that travel great distances to overwinter or nest and breed in our temperate climate, including geese from Greenland, swans from Iceland and arctic terns from as far away as Antarctica.  

Albeit a dramatic and ecologically vital natural phenomenon, unfortunately, this movement increases the risk of disease being spread globally when infected bird populations mix and then travel onwards again. 

Since 2021, there has been an unprecedented outbreak of avian influenza virus (or ‘bird flu’) among bird species around the world, which has had a devasting impact on bird populations.  

In Scotland, we experienced a huge die-off in our seabird colonies in 2023, and following a quieter 2024, we have, once again, been seeing detections of the virus in wild birds in in recent months, most particularly among water birds. 

Although it is primarily a disease of birds, avian influenza viruses can, on occasion, cause infections in mammals. There have been occasional reports of bird flu being detected in wild mammals such as seals, otters and foxes, which may have been feeding on dead birds. In recent months, a variant of avian influenza, not yet found in the UK, has also spread among dairy cows in the United States. 

There are different strains (subtypes) of bird flu, but the subtype that has driven the epidemic up to this point is known as H5N1. Recently, there have also been detections of a different subtype, H5N5, which has also been seen across the UK and Europe in wild birds and in farmed poultry. 

Fortunately, there have only been a small number of detections of H5N1 in humans in the UK to date, with the most recent announced earlier this week in England. These rare, and mild, cases have been in people who have had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds on a farm, and so the risk to the wider public is very low.  

How can you minimise the risks from bird flu? 

While the current evidence is that bird flu does not pass easily to humans, we can all take simple steps to minimise the risks and keep safe around both wild and domestic birds: 

• Keep away from dead wild birds and do not touch any sick or dead wild birds. If you see any, you can report them.  

• Keep dogs on leads around coastal areas where there are sick or dead birds, to prevent any contact with carcases. Advice is available on how to minimise the risk of bird flu to pets. 

• Take basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands, if you have been in the vicinity of wild birds or wild mammals, including if you have touched feathers or droppings. 

• If you find any dead wild mammals that are suspected of having been infected with bird flu, do not pick them up and do not handle them. Instead report it to your local Nature Scot office. 

• If you keep poultry, such as ducks or chickens, or have birds of any species that are kept outside, remain vigilant for signs of illness or sudden death in the flock and, if bird flu is suspected, report it to your local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Field Services Office.  

• If you keep poultry, implementing biosecurity measures can also help minimise the risk of bird flu to your flock. A prevention zone has been introduced across Great Britain and advice issued to keepers on how to reduce the risk of their flocks contracting the virus. 

• If you think you may have been exposed to bird flu and become ill, please contact your GP surgery or NHS111. 

Public Health Scotland is taking steps to minimise the risk to humans from bird flu by working with partner agencies at Scottish Government, UKHSA, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and NatureScot. 

Together we are monitoring the changes in trends of avian influenza cases in birds and animals through surveillance, maintaining vigilance around any changes in the virus that indicate a potential increased risk to humans, and raising public awareness of the risks from the virus.   

Through multiagency partnership working, efforts are being made to ensure that bird populations can recover and that we, as humans, remain safe during the process. 

 
Find out about the latest bird flu situation in Scotland, including current outbreaks and measures in place to prevent the spread of the disease

Find out more about the rare human case of avian flu in England in January 2025

Find out health information about the symptoms of bird flu in humans