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Turkeys culled at four premises

14/11/2007

Turkeys at four further premises in Norfolk and Suffolk's restriction zone are to be culled following the confirmation of a bird flu outbreak in East Anglia earlier this week.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the decision had been made following tests and veterinary assessments.

They identified the birds as "dangerous contacts" and said they were being culled as a precautionary measure.

Acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg commented: "At this stage we have not confirmed disease on any of these four premises. This is a precautionary measure taken to prevent any potential spread of the disease.

"I must stress again that poultry keepers in the area must be extremely vigilant, practice the highest levels of biosecurity and report any suspicions of disease to their local Animal Health office."

On Monday it was announced that a fresh case of avian influenza had been discovered among turkeys on a farm on the border between Norfolk and Suffolk.

Tests revealed the virus to be the "highly pathogenic H5N1 strain", which can be fatal to humans, and all birds at the premises were slaughtered.

Mr Landeg said the European Commission had been informed and revealed that a full epidemiological investigation was underway, as well as separate probes into possible sources of the outbreak.

Earlier this year a similar discovery of the H5N1 strain forced the culling of 160,000 turkeys at a Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk.

Mr Landeg added: "We have faced H5N1 once already this year, but there is still significant uncertainty surrounding this outbreak."

Today's announcement follows confirmation from Defra that a wider restriction zone has been established and additional controls put in place.

Much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk are subject to the restriction zone, which requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds and restricts the movement of birds out of both counties.

No movements are permitted in the 3km and 10km zones around the infected premises, while the national general licence permitting bird gatherings – such as bird shows and pigeon racing – in England has been revoked.

The news is another setback to Britain's beleaguered farming community, which has suffered foot-and-mouth and bluetongue disease outbreaks since the bird flu crisis earlier in the year.

National Farmers' Union president Peter Kendall said the development was a "huge blow" and backed Defra's measures to contain the strain.

"It is important to remember avian influenza is a disease of birds," he added. "There is no reason for public concern and the Food Standards Agency says there are no risks from eating poultry meat and eggs provided they are cooked properly as, of course, all food should be."