What you need to know about the H5N1 avian flu outbreak

H5N1 has decimated some bird populations. iStock.com/Derick Hudson

By Judith Ozkan

Avian flu is spreading rapidly in the wild and has recently broken out into mammals. Could it pose any risk to the public’s health?

Avian influenza, or bird flu, has been in and out of the media spotlight amid reports of large-scale wild bird deaths, egg shortages and the suspension of free-range poultry farming in the UK.