Avian influenza, mainly the H5N1 strain, has been common among wild birds in Finland over the past two years, posing a danger to some feathered creatures.
The risk to people, however, remains low, according to the Finnish institute for health and welfare, THL.
"The European continent has seen a broad avian influenza epidemic since autumn 2020," said Niina Tammiranta, a senior researcher at the Finnish Food Authority.
The number of infected birds in Finland is meanwhile expected to grow during spring migration.
"People need to handle poultry and other birds carefully considering the risk of infections. From now until the end of May it's forbidden to keep these birds outside," explained Tammiranta.
While humans can be infected with avian influenza viruses, the authorities have not registered any such cases in Finland.
Human cases rare, but dangerous
Over the past 20 years the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded nearly 900 human bird flu cases, half of which have been fatal. Human infections are primarily acquired through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, but do not result in efficient transmission between people, according to the WHO.
At the end of February, an 11 year-old girl in Cambodia died after contracting bird flu.
The Finnish institute for health and welfare, THL, said the current avian strains circulating in Europe have only resulted in human infections carrying mild or no symptoms.
While the risk of human cases in Finland is low, THL urges people to exercise caution when handling birds.
"The most important thing is for people not to touch dead birds and practice good hand hygiene," said Niina Ikonen of THL, adding that it may be a good idea to avoid visiting live bird markets when travelling abroad.
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