Bird flu detected in sheep in England for the first time

Bird flu has been detected in a sheep in England for the first time, the government has said.

The single case was identified in Yorkshire during a routine check of livestock on a premises where the H5N1 virus, also called avian influenza, had previously been confirmed in captive birds.

No further infection of the virus was detected in the remaining flock, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said.

"While this is the first time this virus has been reported in a sheep, it is not the first time influenza of avian origin has been detected in livestock in other countries," it added.

"There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk to the nation's livestock population."

DEFRA said it has been introducing livestock surveillance on infected premises following the outbreak of avian influenza in dairy cows in the US.

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