Case Of Bird Flu Confirmed In United Kingdom

As the outbreak of avian bird flu H5N2 continues to trouble the American food industry — most recently resulting in the discontinuation of the beloved frozen custard at Rita's Italian Ice — yet another strain of bird flu has been confirmed in Lancashire, England.

Given how quickly avian flu can spread, poultry owners in the region have been advised to be extremely vigilant about protecting their flocks, and an executive for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said that the biosecurity risk would be taken "extremely seriously."

Stateside, the flu outbreak has forced the culling of several million birds across a number of states. It is unclear at this time how many birds in the U.K. have been affected by the strain, H7N7 — signs of which include respiratory distress and discoloration of the bird's neck and throat.

Like H5N2, the strain of flu is contagious to birds, but the risk to humans is very low.