A 79-year-old is the first rare case of bird flu in humans in the UK

Alan Gosling, 79, of Devon, has been named the first human case of bird flu ever recorded in Britain.

The virus, also known as H5N1, kills about 50% of the people it infects, but it is rare in humans. Less than 1.000 cases of human transmission have been reported worldwide since the outbreak of the virus in poultry in the late 1990s.

The former railway engineer was offended by his close and regular contact with 160 ducks he cared for in the area where he lives. In fact, 20 of the ducks lived in his house.

According to him, he is in home isolation but in good health, although devastated by the fact that all his favorite ducks were killed by the authorities in Britain.

"People do not realize that ducks are smart, but also sweet. They sat on my slippers to keep warm before I put them on. The house was never empty and I was never alone. "It's like a morgue now," Gosling said.

Britain has recently been facing the biggest outbreak of bird flu that is believed to have hit the country so far. Up to 2 million birds are already believed to have been killed.

Public health officials say tests have shown that Mr Gosling did not transmit the virus to other people. They stress that the risk to public health is very low, with citizens urged not to touch sick or dead birds.