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Cull continues at bird flu farm Poultry checked for flu exposure
(about 3 hours later)
The culling of 6,500 birds is due to continue at a Suffolk farm where the highly-contagious H5N1 virus was found, according to government vets. Vets investigating an outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu are checking whether other poultry flocks could have been exposed to the virus.
The infection was discovered on Sunday at Redgrave Park Farm near Diss. A cull of 6,500 birds is continuing at the Suffolk farm, near Diss, where the infection was discovered on Sunday.
A 3km (1.9-mile) protection zone and a 10km (6.2-mile) surveillance zone have been set up around the affected site. A 3km (1.9 mile) protection zone and a 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone have been set up around the affected site.
Fred Landeg, acting chief vet, said there would be no hesitation in culling poultry on other premises which were suspected of being at risk. Officials are looking at any "dangerous contact" with other flocks through human, wild bird or poultry movement.
Map of surveillance zoneMap of surveillance zone
He said officials from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) were keeping an "open mind" about how the virus reached the farm. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said there were more than four million registered poultry within the surveillance zone, with a further 25 million within the restricted zone covering Suffolk and most of Norfolk.
Mr Landeg said: "We are at a very early stage of the investigation. A Defra spokeswoman said animal health officials were now trying to establish who had come on and off the infected premises as well as tracking any poultry movements to and from the site.
This is a particularly challenging site and our priority is to adhere to strict bio-security Fred LandegActing chief vet class="" href="/1/hi/sci/tech/4947454.stm">Quick guide to bird flu Once this contact had been established, further precautionary culls could be carried out, she added.
"The initial sequence data suggests that it's closely related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany, which does suggest a possible wild bird source." Acting chief vet Fred Landeg said on Tuesday there would be no hesitation in culling poultry on other premises which were suspected of being at risk.
Mr Landeg also said there was a lake at the affected site with a number of wild fowl on it. This is a disease on the one farm, and I don't think it is going to get out and kill five million birds, most of which are indoors and should have no contact with wild birds Charles BournsNFU class="" href="/1/hi/england/7092319.stm">Farmers' worries class="" href="/1/hi/sci/tech/4947454.stm">Quick guide to bird flu
He added: "No two outbreaks of the disease are ever the same". A national and a local disease control centre have been established in Bury St Edmunds, with text messages sent to all bird keepers nationwide - especially in the restricted zones on the poultry register.
He said: "This will not be a quick exercise. This is a particularly challenging site and our priority is to adhere to strict bio-security, and the health and safety of staff on site is paramount." All poultry farmers in the area are being asked to remain vigilant and report any signs of infection.
The affected birds were free-range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and may have been at greater risk of catching the disease. Defra confirmed on Tuesday that the virus found in turkeys on Redgrave Park Farm was the highly-contagious H5N1 strain.
Mr Landeg has urged people with poultry to be vigilant for bird flu The slaughter of 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese at the premises, which began on Tuesday, is continuing.
The birds destined for slaughter include 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese. Mr Landeg had said his department was keeping an "open mind" about how the virus reached the farm, but added that early indications were that is was related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany - which suggested a wild bird source.
Police officers are at the entrance to the farm, and vehicles are being sprayed with a jet hose. The affected birds were free-range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and were located near a lake used by a number of wild fowl.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said that there might be further undisclosed cases of the disease in the area but that efforts were being made to contain it. Christmas turkeys
A national and a local disease control centre have been established in Bury St Edmunds, with text messages sent to all bird keepers nationwide - especially those in zones on the poultry register. Redgrave Poultry Limited, a subsidiary of Gressingham Foods which operates the farm, has issued a statement in which it said it had continued to fully co-operate with Defra over the outbreak.
Mr Benn said that movements within the restricted zones can take place, but not outside the zone. General licences for low risk movements out of the zone are expected to be available "shortly".
The top priority is to get controls in place, to inform people of the controls in place Heather PeckDefra regional manager Latest blow for farmers 'Heartbreak' for farmers
The BBC's Andrew Sinclair, at the farm in Suffolk, said large trucks and gas canisters had been moved on to the premises earlier in preparation for the cull.
Redgrave Poultry Limited, which is operating the farm, has issued a statement in which it said it had continued to fully co-operate with Defra over the outbreak.
It also said the farm was seasonal and prepared birds for Christmas.It also said the farm was seasonal and prepared birds for Christmas.
But the company's operations director, Geoffrey Buchanan, stressed that no infected birds had entered the food chain.
The news of the outbreak is the latest blow to farmers who are already dealing with bluetongue and foot-and-mouth disease.
But the National Farmers' Union's poultry board chairman, Charles Bourns, said he did not think there was a danger of turkey shortages over the busy Christmas period.
"This is a disease on the one farm, and I don't think it is going to get out and kill five million birds, most of which are indoors and should have no contact with wild birds," he said.
There was a H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm, at Holton in Suffolk, in February.There was a H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm, at Holton in Suffolk, in February.
Although a report by Defra into that outbreak initially blamed wild birds, it later concluded the most likely source of infection was imported turkey meat from Hungary.
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Are you in this area? Are you a farmer who is concerned about the latest outbreak? Has your livestock been affected by bird flu? Send us your reactions.
Are you in this area? Are you a farmer who is concerned about the latest outbreak? Has your poultry been affected by bird flu? Send us your reactions.
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