First person to catch bird flu in the UK is confirmed as a man from Devon
Alan's family say it has been 'absolutely devastating'
It has been confirmed that the first person in Britain to catch bird flu is from Devon.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed the single case of avian influenza in a person in the South West of England on Thursday (6th January).
Alan Gosling, from Buckfastleigh, had a large flock of ducks living outside of his home.
Experts believe he acquired the infection from very close, regular contact with the large number of infected birds, which were kept in and around the home over a prolonged period of time.
He is now in isolation and officials say there is no evidence that anyone else has contracted the virus.
The ducks have all had to be put down.
His daughter-in-law has spoken to us about the situation, saying it has been 'incredibly difficult'.
Ellesha Louise Gosling confirmed they only found out the news on Thursday too.
She told us that they meant everything to him: "They were his closest friends, just how we have relationships with our cats and dogs, that's how the relationship was he had with his ducks. It was absolutely devastating for Dad.
"The mental health team have been absolutely brilliant with Dad you know, in terms of assessing him and also helping support him through this because it was like a bereavement, it was a bereavement for him and the ducks meant absolutely everything you know. He's he's a 79 year old lives on his own."
You can watch our chat with Ellesha below...
Alan's property will need to be thoroughly cleaned to make sure all traces of the disease are gone, which he has to pay for himself.
Ellesha and other family are appealing for the public's help to raise the funds needed.
She said: "It's trying to raise awareness regarding the situation and also trying to help Dad with raising the money as he's not eligible for any funding. I am setting up a Go Fund Me page just to help Dad in any way that we can, we've always been here to support him and we always will."
Ellesha's appeal is trying to raise £10,000 and you can find it here.
This is the first human case of this strain in the UK, although there have been other cases globally.
Public Health England says the risk to the wider public continues to be very low, however people should not touch sick or dead birds.
Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "While the risk of avian flu to the general public is very low, we know that some strains do have the potential to spread to humans and that’s why we have robust systems in place to detect these early and take action.
"Currently there is no evidence that this strain detected in the UK can spread from person to person, but we know that viruses evolve all the time and we continue to monitor the situation closely.
"We have followed up all of this individual’s contacts and have not identified any onward spread.
"It remains critical that people do not touch sick or dead birds, and that they follow the DEFRA advice about reporting".
The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "While avian influenza is highly contagious in birds, this is a very rare event and is very specific to the circumstances on this premises.
"We took swift action to limit the spread of the disease at the site in question, all infected birds have been humanely culled, and cleansing and disinfection of the premises is underway. This is a reminder that stringent cleanliness when keeping animals is important.
"We are seeing a growing number of cases in birds on both commercial farms and in backyard flocks across the country. Implementing scrupulous biosecurity measures will help keep your birds safe".
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