URGENT! BIRD FLU OUTBREAK HITS BRITAIN, 6000 Birds To Be Culled A case of avian flu has been confirmed on a duck breeding farm in East Yorkshire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said. Defra said there is at least one case of the virus at the farm, which Sky sources understand is in the Nafferton area, but insist the risk to public health is very low. It confirmed the entire flock - about 6,000 ducks - will be culled as a result. A 3km protection zone has been put in place around the infected premises. It means no animal movements will be allowed, except when they are taken away to be slaughtered, to stop the virus spreading. In addition, a 10km surveillance zone is also in place, closely monitoring any spread of the outbreak. In both zones, disinfection of people, vehicles and machinery moving around farms will be increased while the movement of animals, feed and bedding is forbidden except under licence. A Defra spokesperson said: We have confirmed a case of avian flu on a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire - the public health risk is very low and there is no risk to the food chain. We are taking immediate and robust action which includes introducing a 10km restriction zone and culling all poultry on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection. A detailed investigation is ongoing. We have a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu in the UK. The farmer, Jono Dixon, told Sky News: Weve got Christmas four weeks away and I know that these guys will be gearing up for the Christmas market. Theres some big turkey farms in East Yorkshire as well as lots of turkeys produced in this area, and you know how thats going to affect them. Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious viral illness that spreads among birds. In rare cases it can affect humans. There are 16 different avian flu types. The H5N1 strain is the one that causes the most concern because it is the most virulent and deadliest. H5N1 has killed more than 400 people, mainly in southeast Asia, since first appearing in 2003. Another strain of bird flu, H7N9, has claimed more than 170 lives since emerging in 2013. Defra said the type discovered at the duck farm is H5 - but not H5N1. The exact strain will be confirmed after final test results due today. Public Health England is assisting Defra in the investigation of the outbreak at the farm. A spokesman said: Based on what we know about this specific strain of avian influenza the risk to human health in this case is considered extremely low. Meanwhile, Dutch officials on Sunday banned the transport of poultry in the Netherlands after the discovery of the H5N1 strain. The highly pathogenic form of avian influenza discovered at a farm in the centre of the country is very dangerous to birds and contamination can occur from animals to humans, the Dutch government said. https://youtube/watch?v=Pt6FReCZl0E
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 08:07:54 +0000
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