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Case Reports
. 2022 Feb;27(5):2200061.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.5.2200061.

A case of avian influenza A(H5N1) in England, January 2022

Isabel Oliver  1 , Jonathan Roberts  2 , Colin S Brown  1 , Alexander Mp Byrne  3 , Dominic Mellon  2 , Rowena DE Hansen  3 , Ashley C Banyard  3 , Joe James  3 , Matthew Donati  2 , Robert Porter  4 , Joanna Ellis  1 , Jade Cogdale  1 , Angie Lackenby  1 , Meera Chand  1 , Gavin Dabrera  1 , Ian H Brown  3 , Maria Zambon  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A case of avian influenza A(H5N1) in England, January 2022

Isabel Oliver et al. Euro Surveill. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

On 5 January 2022, high pathogenicity avian influenza A(H5N1) was confirmed in an individual who kept a large flock of ducks at their home in England. The individual remained asymptomatic. H5N1 was confirmed in 19/20 sampled live birds on 22 December 2021. Comprehensive contact tracing (n = 11) revealed no additional primary cases or secondary transmissions. Active surveillance of exposed individuals is essential for case identification. Asymptomatic swabbing helped refine public health risk assessment and facilitated case management given changes in avian influenza epidemiology.

Keywords: avian influenza; influenza A(H5N1); whole genome sequencing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic tree of the identified human case with high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 and contemporary European sequences, England, January 2022
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1-infected premises and wild bird events, Great Britain, October 2021–January 2022
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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