infect

He urged farmers to "report it urgently" and "isolate infected animals" if they see signs on infection.

And local reports say infected animals have been buried in fields without notifying the authorities.

The latest outbreak began in the Netherlands in 2023, where tens of thousands of sheep died, and midges blown over from the continent began infecting livestock in the south-east of England too.

Illness is predicted to spread faster, infect more people and put higher-risk groups at greater chance of being seriously ill or hospitalized.

Seasonal human flu viruses infect millions of people each year.