Bird flu confirmed at Wrexham poultry premises, DEFRA says
The confirmation of the presence of the H5N1strain of the virus has prompted immediate action from animal health authorities.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been confirmed at a premises near Glyn Ceiriog, Wrexham. All bird keepers should remain vigilant & follow stringent biosecurity measures to prevent future outbreaks. See https://t.co/NesSSQTuAQ: https://t.co/yW5wGJ4qaR for info. #BirdFlu pic.twitter.com/x8c4mknqlW
All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled, DEFRA said.
(Image: DEFRA) Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds. In rare cases, it can affect humans.
Read more
There are lots of different strains of bird flu virus. Most of them don't infect humans. The NHS website states there are four strains that have caused public health "concern" in recent years:
Although H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 don't infect people easily and aren't usually spread from human to human, several people have been infected around the world, leading to a number of deaths.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
20 minutes ago
- Times
NHS put up with harm of last strikes, says boss — but not any more
The chief executive of NHS England has ordered hospital leaders to take a tougher line with the doctors' union when the latest strikes begin next week. Sir Jim Mackey said he would not put up with the same levels of poor care seen during the previous wave of action, setting local hospitals on a collision course with the British Medical Association (BMA). 'We all tolerated levels of harm and risk last time that I really just don't think we should anymore. We'll be taking a different approach,' he said, ahead of junior doctors' planned five-day walkout from 7am on Friday. In previous rounds, the BMA imposed a 'Christmas Day' level of service on the NHS, with cancellations and delays for tens of thousands of patients. At a meeting of NHS England's board on Thursday, Mackey said that caused much wider levels of harm than previously realised and the NHS should not accept it.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
'No one deserves to be left waiting": The emotional toll of NHS waiting lists
Two women are urging others to advocate for themselves when trying to get treatment on the NHS after waiting years for surgeries. Michelle Turnock, from Merseyside, waited nearly three years for breast reconstruction surgery following cancer. The long wait took a serious toll on her mental health. The mum-of-two finally had her operation in May. 'The staff were amazing,' Michelle said. I first spoke to Michelle as she waited for surgery in 2024. Now recovering, she rewatched her original interview from before the surgery. When asked if she recognised herself, she replied: 'No, it was a scary time, I just didn't know whether I was coming or going, we were very much in limbo." Michelle's story is not unique. In the North West of England alone, more than one million people are waiting for NHS care, and over 40,000 of them have been waiting more than a year. Gail Wild from Melling also knows what it means to wait and to fight for the care that she needs. She reached out after seeing Michelle's story on the telly. With a family history of cancer and a positive BRCA2 gene result, Gail made the difficult decision to have preventative surgery, including a double mastectomy, so that she could be around longer for her sons. She said: "It was too emotionally upsetting waiting for results that you think, Is this the year I'm going to get cancer?" But when it came to reconstruction, she hit wall after wall. Her local hospital said no, while other hospitals turned her away too - some didn't even offer the surgery. Asked what that was like, Gail replied: 'Soul-destroying. I didn't know whether I was going to get the surgery. "People need the surgery for a valid reason, I'm very high risk. I don't want to get cancer, and I know if I did get cancer, I would cost the NHS an awful lot more money." Eventually, a hospital in Sheffield agreed to carry out the surgery. It changed her life. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he acknowledges the long delays on the NHS and said his government is taking action. He said: "I am really pleased that we are making progress bringing the waiting lists down, but I don't want to diminish the experience of anyone in the North West who is on a waiting list. "All I can say is this, we are working as hard as we can, sleeves rolled up, and I have them in my mind's eye when I take the decisions that I do in relation to the NHS, we're determined to tackle this problem." There are signs of progress. At Warrington Hospital, a new 'super clinic' model allows patients to be seen, assessed, and booked for surgery in one visit. The Gynaecology Super Clinics, introduced by Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals in May 2024, have cleared the hospitals' Covid-19 backlog and are ensuring that patients receive appointments within weeks. Since the launch, the Super Clinics have seen more than 1,500 patients, with 80% starting or completing their treatment plan at the clinic. The Super Clinic is part of the national 'Further Faster 20' initiative. Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals are one of 20 trusts taking part in the initiative to transform patient pathways and improve access to treatment. Dr Anuradha Leburu, Senior Gynaecologist, said: "It has been a dream come true, actually we've been trying this for so many years. "It has come through actually for us and we are so pleased as clinicians were pleased and the patient, look at the feedback we get, they're very very happy." For Michelle and Gail, finally getting surgery gave them more than just physical healing. It gave them hope. Michelle now has a new job and is planning a holiday she has put off for three years. Gail, on the other hand, has been planning a wedding and looking forward to wearing her wedding dress. They want others to advocate for themselves, try different hospitals and push to be seen. They also want hospitals to do more to help their patients. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We inherited a situation where too many people are waiting too long for care, but we are working at pace to turn this around. 'The latest figures show that NHS waiting lists fell in May for the first time in 17 years and have dropped by more than 260,000 since July 2024. 'This recovery through our Plan for Change is only just beginning, and we are working hard to improve access to services and bring down waits for treatments.'
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
'I nearly died getting cosmetic surgery in Turkey. I don't recommend it'
A woman who ended up fighting for her life after infections following cosmetic surgery in Turkey says people should 'take the hit' and pay more for operations in the UK. Katrina Marshall, a mother-of-four from Hastings, still has scars from surgery three years ago and suffers pain in what she described as a 'horrendous' experience. She flew to Turkey for breast implants, a tummy tuck and a Brazilian butt lift procedure in 2022. She paid a company more than £6,000 in a 'package deal' for the three operations and accommodation. Following the operations, all carried out in one day, she returned to the UK and developed infections, which left her in excruciating pain. She told Metro she had reported her symptoms to the surgeon who offered pain relief medicine. Katrina, 46, a school bus driver, said: 'I flew to Turkey for the procedures as it was cheaper than in the UK but it turned into a nightmare. I had three procedures and soon after something didn't feel right. I was in pain. I was given pain relief and then returned to the UK. 'Then I got really ill and was rushed into hospital. I had four blood clots and severe infections. I was told I could have died. The NHS saved me. 'For anyone thinking they are saving money by going to have the surgery in Turkey I would say think again. If things go wrong it's better to be in the UK. It's a false economy, save up more and have the surgery here.' Images of the severe infections seen by Metro show the extent of the damage to Katrina's body following the medical complications following the surgery. Metro has chosen not to run the images due to the graphic nature of her injuries. After her infections and clots were treated by the NHS she paid a cosmetic surgeon in the UK £10,500 to repair the damage but she still has some scarring and pain. She added: 'It's been a nightmare it really has. The company in Turkey offered to do the surgery again free of charge but there's no way I was going back after that experience. I would advise people to take the hit and pay more for surgery in the UK. 'I don't want others to go through what I have. The toll on my body has been so bad and I was told without emergency treatment I would not be here now. It's been very distressing for the whole family.' A statement from BlueCare, the company in Turkey which organised Katrina's surgery, said in a statement: 'Mrs Katrina Marie Marshall approached us for a full mommy makeover, which included 360° liposuction with tummy tuck, breast lift with silicone augmentation, and a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift). 'She visited the hospital on May 27th, 2022, for consultation and medical analysis. Her surgery was successfully performed on May 28th, 2022. 'On June 22nd, 2022, Mrs. Katrina informed us that she had returned to the hospital due to an infection in her breast area. We maintained regular follow-up with her until September 4th, 2022, when she informed us that the implants had to be removed. 'Following this, we coordinated with the surgeon and extended an offer for a revision treatment, which included all necessary medical work, at no additional cost. This offer was made for October 15th, 2022, once her breasts had fully healed. However, we did not receive any further communication from her. 'Please note that prior to undergoing such procedures, every patient is thoroughly informed of the associated risks, including up to a 30% chance of post-operative infection. No operation is performed without the patient's informed consent and signed documentation. 'We deeply regret the difficulties Mrs. Katrina faced during her recovery and remain open and ready to cooperate in any way that could support her moving forward.' More Trending Last week, experts told the British Medical Journal that the out-of-pocket cost for weight loss surgery done privately in the UK is around £10, 000 to £15,000, but £2,500 to £4,500 in countries such as Turkey. They added that 5,000 people from the UK travel to overseas each year to have surgical weight loss treatments, known as 'medical tourism'. Figures from the Foreign Office show that between 2019 and March 2024, at least 28 British people died due to elective surgeries in Turkey. Nurses and medics have previously warned MPs about the rising numbers of weight loss surgeries available abroad, and said complications linked to cosmetic surgery have become a 'significant burden' on the NHS. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British women beaten and stamped on in row over bill at Turkish restaurant MORE: Footballer Paige Bowyer-Walker, 20, dies after being hit by car in Turkey MORE: The cheapest package holiday destinations for 2025 as Spain and Cyprus soar in price
