Q&A: How worried should we be about bird flu?

Bird flu, also known as H5N1 and avian influenza, can pose a threat to people and other animals, causing severe illness and sometimes death

On Wednesday the ECDC said the risk to people in Europe generally is still considered low, but the risk to people culling birds is low to medium. Anyone working with dead birds or their droppings is strongly advised to wear PPE. File Picture: PA

What is bird flu?

It is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the respiratory, digestive and/or nervous system of many species of birds. As we learned with covid-19, different strains of a virus can circulate, and a new strain is currently causing concern in Europe and elsewhere.