Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has increasingly spread to mammals and infected hundreds of people, raising concerns that it may lead to human-to-human transmission and turn into a new pandemic.

The detection of bird flu in a sheep is another sign that the H5N1 virus is adapting to hop to new hosts

The world's first case of bird flu in sheep has been found in the UK, the nation's chief veterinary officer has confirmed. The exact location of the farm has not been revealed, but a government spokesperson said the case was identified on a site in Yorkshire where bird flu had been confirmed in captive birds.