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Bird flu outbreak may prompt cull


Dr Kenneth Noisewater
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Bird flu outbreak may prompt cull

 

As many as 160,000 birds could be culled following the discovery of avian flu in 2,600 turkeys at a Suffolk farm.

 

The birds from the Bernard Matthews farm in Holton have tested positive for H5. Further tests are under way to find out if it is the deadly H5N1 strain.

 

Vets were called to the farm late on Thursday night, said the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 

A spokeswoman said the risk of the disease spreading to humans was low and there was no need for panic.

 

She added: "Avian Influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces.

 

"At this stage there is no definite confirmation that this is a virus that has human health implications."

 

Defra said there were 160,000 other turkeys on the farm. If H5N1 is confirmed they would be slaughtered. A three kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone would also be set up.

 

The farm has so far been placed under tight restrictions and samples from the dead birds are being examined at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, Surrey.

 

Defra said the alarm was raised by the farmer after he noticed "significant mortality" among his flock.

 

The first deaths happened on Tuesday 30 January when 71 chicks died, said Defra.

 

A further 186 died the following day and 860 died on 1 February. Some 1,500 died on Thursday, making a total of 2,617.

 

Chickens culled

 

There are 15 types of bird, or avian, flu. The most contagious strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7.

 

There are nine different types of H5. The nine all take different forms - some are highly pathogenic, while some are fairly harmless.

 

The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1, which can prove fatal to humans.

 

In May last year, more than 50,000 chickens were culled after an outbreak of the H7 bird flu in farms in the neighbouring county of Norfolk. One member of staff at the farm contracted the disease and was treated for an eye infection.

 

In March 2006, a wild swan found dead in Cellardyke, Fife, was found to have the H5N1 strain of the virus, which has been responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people, mostly in Asia.

 

So they'll be looking for an expert chicken-choker from the Suffolk area. Any names spring to mind?

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All joking aside......

 

Bloody hell !!! I'm leaving town !!

 

 

Avian Virus At UK Farm

Updated: 11:39, Saturday February 03, 2007

 

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found at a turkey farm in Britain.

 

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that an outbreak of bird flu at the Suffolk farm is the lethal strain.

 

The farm, owned by Bernard Matthews, is at Holton near Lowestoft, and has been placed under tight restrictions.

 

More than 2,600 turkeys have already died from the virus and the remainder of the 159,000 birds on the site will now have to be culled.

 

The European Commission said a European Laboratory in Weybridge had confirmed the outbreak was caused by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

 

The strain has been responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people, mostly in Asia.

 

Charles Bourns, of the National Farmers' Union Poultry Board, said all the turkeys on the farm would now have to be culled and exclusion zones put in place.

 

A Defra spokeswoman said the risk of the disease spreading to humans was low and there was no need for "panic".

 

She said staff at the farm - thought to be in the village of Holton - were being monitored and restrictions were in force to stop birds being moved in or out of the site.

 

The birds started to die on Tuesday and Defra was alerted on Thursday after 860 birds had died, in one out of 22 sheds at the farm.

 

A spokesman for Bernard Matthews said: "Bernard Matthews has been working very closely with Defra and other industry bodies to contain the infection. The company meets and in many cases far exceeds Defra's biosecurity standards for combating avian flu."

 

In April 2006, a wild swan found in Cellardyke, Fife, had the version of the virus - H5N1.

 

The swan was thought to have caught the disease abroad, died at sea and its body washed to the UK shore.

 

More than 30,000 birds were slaughtered after chickens near Dereham, Norfolk, tested positive for bird flu in April, not the H5N1 strain.

 

One worker at the farm caught the disease and was treated for an eye infection.

 

Suffolk County Council has set up a bird flu helpline on 08456 032 814.

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Bird flu outbreak may prompt cull

 

As many as 160,000 birds could be culled following the discovery of avian flu in 2,600 turkeys at a Suffolk farm.

 

The birds from the Bernard Matthews farm in Holton have tested positive for H5. Further tests are under way to find out if it is the deadly H5N1 strain.

 

Vets were called to the farm late on Thursday night, said the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 

A spokeswoman said the risk of the disease spreading to humans was low and there was no need for panic.

 

She added: "Avian Influenza is a disease of birds and whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces.

 

"At this stage there is no definite confirmation that this is a virus that has human health implications."

 

Defra said there were 160,000 other turkeys on the farm. If H5N1 is confirmed they would be slaughtered. A three kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone would also be set up.

 

The farm has so far been placed under tight restrictions and samples from the dead birds are being examined at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, Surrey.

 

Defra said the alarm was raised by the farmer after he noticed "significant mortality" among his flock.

 

The first deaths happened on Tuesday 30 January when 71 chicks died, said Defra.

 

A further 186 died the following day and 860 died on 1 February. Some 1,500 died on Thursday, making a total of 2,617.

 

Chickens culled

 

There are 15 types of bird, or avian, flu. The most contagious strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7.

 

There are nine different types of H5. The nine all take different forms - some are highly pathogenic, while some are fairly harmless.

 

The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1, which can prove fatal to humans.

 

In May last year, more than 50,000 chickens were culled after an outbreak of the H7 bird flu in farms in the neighbouring county of Norfolk. One member of staff at the farm contracted the disease and was treated for an eye infection.

 

In March 2006, a wild swan found dead in Cellardyke, Fife, was found to have the H5N1 strain of the virus, which has been responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people, mostly in Asia.

 

So they'll be looking for an expert chicken-choker from the Suffolk area. Any names spring to mind?

Let the swan eating asylum-seekers deal with the problem...

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Ah, so that's why those Bernard Matthews turkey slices I bought the other day were half price. :o

 

 

fuck, I just had some turkey dippers,

 

its alreet man, flu just kills old people,

 

 

In 1918 it killed mainly young people I think (hopefully) :unsure::o:suicide::huh::blush:

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Ah, so that's why those Bernard Matthews turkey slices I bought the other day were half price. ;)

 

 

fuck, I just had some turkey dippers,

 

its alreet man, flu just kills old people,

 

 

In 1918 it killed mainly young people I think (hopefully) :lol::lol::panic::panic::panic:

It was notable for killing healthy people iirc. The 1918 pandemic killed more people than the First World War I think.

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;)

 

Hospital For Bird Flu Vet

 

Updated: 19:01, Tuesday February 06, 2007

 

A vet who attended the latest bird flu outbreak is being monitored in hospital, according to reports.

 

The Ministry of Agriclture vet is undergoing "preliminary and precautionary" tests at a Nottingham hospital.

 

The vet, who has not been named, was called to the Bernard Matthew farm at Holton in Suffolk to investigate the outbreak.

 

Government vets have completed disinfecting an East Anglia farm where bird flu had broken out.

 

All 160,000 poultry at the Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk that could have been contaminated by the H5N1 virus have been gassed.

 

The infected farm lies in a part of Suffolk where there are a large number of small-scale and commercial farms.

 

All those working there have been offered Tamiflu injections as a precaution.

 

Bernard Matthews insisted none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and consumers were not at risk.

 

Environment Secretary David Miliband supported that message, saying the bird flu outbreak posed a "negligible" threat to the public.

 

He said there was believed to be "no risk" in eating properly-cooked poultry or eggs.

 

Meanwhile, the Government said it was happy with its response to the crisis, despite criticism about the way the outbreak was handled.

 

More follows... :lol::lol::panic:

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