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Tests have confirmed that the H5N1 avian flu virus was present in the swan found dead in Fife, Scotland. Health Protection Scotland are now working closely with Defra and the Scottish Executive to ensure that all the necessary actions are being taken to protect those people who may have been exposed to the virus through close contact with the bird.

Risks

H5N1 avian flu is predominantly a disease of birds. A small number of human cases have been reported in South East Asia and Eastern Europe, all of which have been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry.

Can I catch it?

It is hard for people to catch avian influenza from birds. The current level of risk to the public is very low however the case in Scotland is being taken very seriously. Almost all cases of avian influenza in humans to date have been due to contact with sick or infected domestic poultry.

Advice

There is no evidence to date of efficient human-to-human transmission and European and UK veterinary experts have agreed that no extra precautionary steps for human health are required at the moment.

Do not handle dead wild birds where possible, but if you do have to handle a single dead bird to follow simple hygiend precautions. These can be found on the Defra website - Wild Birds (see related links below).

Contacts

If you see a dead swan, goose or duck or three or more dead, wild, or garden birds together in the same place, these should be reported to the DEFRA helpline on 08459 33 55 77.