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Hungary import 'link' to bird flu Hungary import 'link' to bird flu
(about 2 hours later)
The bird flu outbreak at a Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk may be linked to imports from the firm's plant in Hungary, the government has said. The bird flu outbreak at a Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk may be linked to imports from the firm's plant in Hungary, a government vet has said.
The pathogenic H5N1 strain was found on a Hungarian geese farm in January.The pathogenic H5N1 strain was found on a Hungarian geese farm in January.
In a statement, Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said a possible route of infection was from imported poultry. Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said imported "poultry product" was a possible route of infection.
Meanwhile, tests on culled birds from three sheds near to the site on the Suffolk farm from which the virus was first traced show strains of H5N1. Meanwhile, tests on culled turkeys from three sheds on the Suffolk farm, near the shed in which the virus was first found, also showed strains of H5N1.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said preliminary scientific tests showed the Hungary and UK viruses "may well be identical". 'Poultry to poultry'
"Defra, the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency are investigating the possibility of a link between the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary and the introduction of disease in the farm in Suffolk," it added. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said preliminary tests showed the Hungary and UK viruses "may well be identical".
It is important that this is investigated thoroughly, along with all the other possible routes Fred Landeg, deputy chief vet Geese on the infected farm near Szentes in southern Hungary were destroyed last month, after the EU's first case of bird flu for about six months was found.
The risk to human health remains negligible and properly cooked poultry is safe to eat, it said. Earlier this month, tens of thousands of turkeys were culled at the Bernard Matthews farm at Holton after the H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, was found there.
Defra said partly-processed turkey had been transported by lorry from Hungary to the Suffolk farm each week. The company has a processing plant in Sarvar, in Hungary - about 160 miles away from Szentes.
Mr Landeg told the BBC that the "working hypotheses" was that the infection came into the farm through such an import. There is no suggestion of any infection at our Hungarian plant Bernard Matthews' commercial director Bart Dalla Mura
He said the latest tests "seems to indicate that this is an infection that has been passed from poultry to poultry and it is less likely that this was the introduction of wild birds into the Suffolk premises". Defra confirmed "partly-processed" turkey had been transported by lorry from Hungary to the Suffolk farm each week up to the time of the Suffolk outbreak.
But he stressed: "It is important that this is investigated thoroughly, along with all the other possible routes." The turkeys were taken to a processing plant next to the premises which became infected.
He said an "apparent spread" of H5N1 was indicated by confirmation that the virus was found in another three out of a total of 22 sheds on the farm. Mr Landeg said the "working hypotheses" was that the infection came into the farm through such an import.
He said the latest tests "seems to indicate that this is an infection that has been passed from poultry to poultry", rather than from wild birds.
BBC science correspondent David Shukman said the news raised two questions: "How on earth did the turkeys in Hungary get infected in the first place, and then secondly how did the infection pass from the processing building in Suffolk, to the sheds where the live turkeys were being kept?"
He said the fact that traces of infection had been found in three more sheds, also raised the question: "How did that infection jump from one building to another?"
Imports suspendedImports suspended
Tens of thousands of turkeys had already been culled at the farm at Holton, south-west of Lowestoft, as a precaution. Bernard Matthews stressed it was co-operating fully with the Defra investigation.
The company also has a processing facility division in Sarvar, Hungary. But commercial director Bart Dalla Mura said he would be "very surprised" if Hungary turned out to be the source of infection.
Defra said Bernard Matthews was temporarily suspending the movement of poultry products between the two outlets until the investigation was complete. "We do transport meat but we don't move live birds between Hungary and the UK," he said.
Defra said poultry is continuing to be imported into Britain from Hungary as long as it is not from restricted areas. "There is no suggestion of any infection at our Hungarian plant and no suggestion of any infection in turkeys in Hungary.
In a statement, Bernard Matthews said it continues to work closely with Defra in its investigation. "If we had any concerns about our Hungarian operation we would say so - as we did at Holton. We operate with as much rigour in Hungary as we do in the UK."
"We want to reassure consumers that Bernard Matthews products are perfectly safe to eat." The firm added that Bernard Matthews products were perfectly safe to eat. Defra also said the risk to human health remained negligible, and properly cooked poultry was safe to eat.
It said the Hungarian government, as well as its own inquiries, had established no link with movements between the two sites. The H5N1 virus does not pose a large-scale threat to humans, as it cannot pass easily from one person to another.
Experts, however, fear the virus could mutate at some point in the future, and in its new form trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk.