Two new cases of bird flu have been detected in poultry workers after they came into contact with infected birds, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
The individuals were exposed at two different premises in England to the previously reported detections.
The avian flu was detected in the workers after they took tests for asymptomatic people who had been in contact with infected birds.
It follows the confirmation of two positive cases in May under the same testing programme. Those poultry workers have since tested negative.
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Those taking part in the testing programme include farm staff, staff involved in the culling operation, veterinarians and other health and safety staff.
Bird flu detected in humans can either be a true infection or can come after the nose and throat are contaminated when breathing in materials on the affected farm.
“The first new detection is difficult to interpret due to lack of information on sample timing and may be consistent with infection or contamination of the respiratory tract,” the UKHSA said.
“The second new detection is likely to represent contamination. Precautionary contact tracing was undertaken.”
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The UKHSA said it has not detected evidence of human-to-human transmission.
The level of risk to human health has not changed since the detection of bird flu and the danger remains very low to the general population.
