By Thomas Ling

Published: Friday, 09 December 2022 at 12:00 am


Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Alastair Ward, associate professor of biodiversity and ecosystem management at the University of Leed, to explore the recent outbreak of bird flu.

This year, over 160 million domestic birds have died due to the virus, many in the UK. In fact, half of the country’s turkey stock has been killed or culled.

So, why has it spread so widely? What actually happens when a bird gets the flu? And could humans be at risk?