Bird Flu - latest news
Posted on Saturday, February 03 @ 17:47:30 GMT by jenvetadmin
|
159,000 birds are to be culled after it emerged that avian flu killed 2,600 turkeys at a Suffolk farm.
The birds at the Bernard Matthews farm, Holton, tested positive for the H5N1 strain, which is zoonotic and fatal.
A three-kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone has now been set up around the farm.
A Defra 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."
The farm has been placed under tight restrictions and samples from the dead birds were examined at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, Surrey.
Bart Dalla Mura, Bernard Matthews commercial director, said the birds had not been imported and were raised in a shed.
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.
Suffolk County Council have set up a bird flu helpline on 08456 032 814.
|
| |
|
Home
Veterinary News :
Veterinary Services:
