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| More culls in bird flu outbreak | More culls in bird flu outbreak |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Some 24,000 birds on four premises are being culled as a precaution after the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu was found in turkeys on a Suffolk farm. | |
| Government officials said it was not yet known if the birds, all turkeys, had contracted the virus. | |
| A cull of 6,500 birds is continuing at the farm, near Diss, where the infection was discovered on Sunday. | A cull of 6,500 birds is continuing at the farm, near Diss, where the infection was discovered on Sunday. |
| The additional culls will be within the area placed under restrictions in the wake of the Suffolk case. | |
| Protection and surveillance zones have been set up around the area. | |
| This is a precautionary measure taken to prevent any potential spread of the disease Fred LandegActing chief vet Profile: Fred Landeg | |
| Officials have been investigating any "dangerous contact" with other flocks in the area, either through human, wild bird or poultry movement. | |
| Map of surveillance zone | Map of surveillance zone |
| Acting chief vet Fred Landeg said: "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." | |
| He urged poultry keepers in the area to be "extremely vigilant" for signs of the virus and to practice the "highest levels of bio-security". | |
| Movements 'tracked' | |
| 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. | |
| A Defra spokeswoman said animal health officials have been trying to establish who had come on and off the infected premises as well as tracking any poultry movements to and from the site. | |
| Mr Landeg had said on Tuesday there would be no hesitation in culling poultry on other premises which were suspected of being at risk. | |
| 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 Farmers' worries Quick guide to bird flu | 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 Farmers' worries Quick guide to bird flu |
| 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. | 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. |
| Defra confirmed on Tuesday that the virus found in turkeys on Redgrave Park Farm was the highly-contagious H5N1 strain. | Defra confirmed on Tuesday that the virus found in turkeys on Redgrave Park Farm was the highly-contagious H5N1 strain. |
| 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. |
| The slaughter of 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese at the premises, which began on Tuesday, is continuing. | The slaughter of 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese at the premises, which began on Tuesday, is continuing. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Christmas turkeys | Christmas turkeys |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | "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. | 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. |
| Return to top | Return to top |
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. | 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. |