Blue Tongue virus
The last case of Bluetongue detected in Great Britain was in 2008 (detected as a result of post-import testing) and through our surveillance we have now been able to demonstrate to the European Commission that we have had no cases for the last three years and are officially declared to be free of BTV8.
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza (AI), commonly known as ‘bird flu’ is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds. It is a disease of birds, not humans, It is rare for humans and other mammals to become infected.
AI is not an air-borne disease, but is spread by movement of infected birds or contact with secretions, and in particular faeces, either directly or through contaminated objects, clothes or vehicles.
There are many strains of AI viruses which vary in their ability to cause disease. They are categorized as either highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAI) or low pathogenic (LPAI).
HPAI can spread easily and quickly between birds in poultry populations and cause severe disease, with a high death rate. In rare cases, some HPAI strains have lead to severe disease and deaths in people where infection has resulted from close contact with infected birds.
The latest information on the most recent cases in Great Britain can be found on the Defra website via the link on this page.