NHS FIFE and NHS Tayside are being issued with advice on a daily basis from Health Protection Scotland about the human medical ramifications of the discovery of avian flu in Scotland.

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said last night, “We are working closely with Health Protection Scotland, who are co-ordinating every health board on a national basis.”

So far there has been only the one confirmed case of the deadly H5N1 avian flu in Cellardyke, though more birds across the country are being checked for the virus.

For avian flu to pass to humans it requires extremely close contact with infected poultry, which sheds the virus in its faeces, saliva and mucus.

It is thought to be very unlikely that infected humans can pass it to another human.

There is currently no vaccine against the H5N1 virus in humans, but antiviral medication used to treat human flu viruses are thought to be effective against the virus.

But the virus has a high mortality rate in humans. The latest World Health Organisation figures show that out of 189 people who have been infected to date, 107 have died.

Because of the low risk of a human being infected with the virus and the commonplace drugs used to deal with this eventuality, there has been no ‘stockpiling’ of flu drugs by the health boards in the wake of the discovery of the virus in Scotland.

A vaccine against the H5N1 strain of the virus is under development.

Dr Charles Saunders, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Fife, stressed the low risk that avian flu poses to humans.

He said, “Whilst avian flu can spread easily between birds, it’s extremely difficult for people to catch it.

“Out of the millions of people who live very closely with infected birds in the Far East, less than 200 people have become infected.”

Dr Harry Burns, chief medical officer for Scotland, said, “Avian influenza can pass with difficulty to humans, though this requires very close contact with infected and diseased birds.

“It is highly unlikely for avian flu to be passed from person to person.”