Bird flu (H5N1) in Norfolk Confirmed, November 12 +

[Gert van der Hoek]

Vets check for bird flu in Norfolk

MICHAEL POLLITT, RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR

12 November 2007 15:49

Officials were today investigating a suspected case of bird flu on a South Norfolk poultry holding.

While the case has not been confirmed, veterinary officials held a telephone conference with industry leaders this afternoon.

It is thought that veterinary staff were alerted to possible infection in poultry near Diss.

Officials at Defra were unable to comment but said that a statement would be made later today.

The last case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected in turkeys at a Bernard Matthews farm at Holton, near Halesworth, in early February. A total of 160,000 birds were slaughtered as a precaution.

Ironically, industry leaders were attending a poultry health meeting with senior officials at Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs this afternoon.

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED12%20Nov%202007%2015%3A49%3A10%3A607

[HenryN]

Re: Vets check for bird flu in Norfolk

Fresh case of bird flu in turkeys
A fresh case of bird flu has been confirmed on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, government officials say.

Defra said the H5 strain had been found in turkeys at a site near Diss and a 3km exclusion zone is in place.
Further tests are taking place and a 10km surveillance zone is also in place.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/7091284.stm

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Britain confirms new case of bird flu in eastern England

The Associated PressPublished: November 12, 2007



LONDON: British officials on Monday confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in turkeys on a farm in eastern England.

The department said the turkeys had tested positive for the H5 strain of the disease. It was not yet known whether it was the deadly H5NI strain, which has killed dozens of people around the world.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said a 3 kilometer (2 mile) protection zone had been set up around a farm in Diss, northeast of London, and all birds on the premises would be slaughtered.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/europe/EU-GEN-Britain-Bird-Flu.php

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

New Bird Flu Outbreak

Updated:16:14, Monday November 12, 2007
Thousands of turkeys are due to be slaughtered after an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in Diss, Norfolk.

Some 5,000 birds are expected to be culled after the H5 strain of the virus was discovered at the premises.
A 10km surveillance zone has been set up around the farm and movement of all poultry in the area has been suspended, said Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1292546,00.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Bird flu confirmed in turkeys on Norfolk/Suffolk border

News | 12 November, 2007

By Alistair Driver

DEFRA has confirmed Avian Influenza in turkeys on a premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

Preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain. Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow.

The premises also contain ducks and geese. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered.

A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone are being established around the infected premises.

Inside these zones bird movements will be restricted and all birds must be housed or otherwise isolated from contact with wild birds.

Defra said it was also ?urgently considering with ornithological and other experts? what wider measures may be needed.

All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register will be notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.

http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=14303&c=1

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11120701/H5_Norfolk.html

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Bird flu confirmed on farm

Mon Nov 12, 2007 4:42pm GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a turkey farm in eastern England although the exact strain is not yet known, the farm ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said preliminary results from the farm on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk were positive for the H5 strain but it is not known if it is the deadly H5N1 variety which has swept across Asia, Europe and Africa during the last couple of years.
All the birds at the farm will be culled and protection and surveillance zones are being set up.
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by David Evans)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL1211635120071112

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +


New bird flu case found

<!-- END HEADLINE --><!-- BEGIN STORY BODY -->16 minutes ago


Vets ordered the slaughter of some 5,000 birds Monday after an outbreak of avian flu on a farm in eastern England, officials said.
The outbreak -- of the H5 strain of the virus and not necessarily the lethal Asian type -- was found on a farm near the town of Diss, said a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
A 1.8-mile radius protection zone and a 10-kilometre surveillance zone were imposed around the farm.
"It is H5 but we don't know which strain," the spokesman told AFP, saying further tests were being carried out to find out if it was the H5N1 lethal strain.
All birds on the farm involved, including turkeys, ducks and geese, will be slaughtered, he added.
The outbreak involves the first cases of the disease in Britain since May, when a child became infected with a low-risk strain of bird flu in Wales.
"Everybody needs to be concerned. This is avian influenza. We are asking every poultry keeper to be vigilant," veterinary chief Fred Landeg told Sky News television.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071112/wl_uk_afp/healthflubritain&printer=1;_ylt=AhDYZ4GDiFYXyOg0GfKEaw_jOrgF

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Turkey farm hit by bird flu



Around 5,000 birds are being slaughtered after avian flu was confirmed in turkeys on a farm in Norfolk, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
Preliminary tests showed the turkeys had the H5 strain of bird flu, but it is not yet known whether it is a highly pathogenic form of the disease.

All 5,000 birds are being slaughtered at the premises, which has ducks and geese as well as turkeys, Defra said.

Deputy chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said the cause of the infection was not known at the moment and he urged all poultry farmers to remain vigilant. He told Sky News: "Everybody needs to be concerned, this is avian influenza. We are asking every poultry keeper to be vigilant, to house their birds where they are required to do so in any restricted area and carry out good bio-security measures and report any signs of disease."

Dr Landeg stressed that the epidemiological investigation into the outbreak, which is at a rearing unit, would try to establish its origin but that it was still at a very early stage.

He said: "We will be looking at the movements on to the premises and off the premises of birds and movements of people, vehicles and things, to see whether there is another origin somewhere in the country or whether the disease could have spread. It does however appear to be early disease from the acute phase but how long the disease has been present on the premises we will need to establish as part of the epidemiological investigation."

Officers from the Animal Health agency would be visiting the farms within the protection zone to inspect their birds and see if they are also affected, he continued.

Dr Landeg played down the likelihood of a link to the outbreak in February this year at a Bernard Matthews' plant in Holton,
Suffolk. He said: "There was a case on another premises in this area, a large turkey producer in February of this year. At this stage we can't (draw any conclusions from the proximity). We think that this is a new introduction onto this premises and we will be looking at any possible links to establish where it may have come from and where it might have spread to."

He also reassured the public that they were not at risk of infection from eating poultry meat and eggs as long as they were cooked properly. He said: "It is very difficult to transmit avian influenza from birds to human beings. There has to be fairly close contact with the birds and with their faeces.

"I think we should also reassure everybody that if poultry and eggs are properly cooked, the Food Standards Agency says there is no risk to public health."

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/latest-national-news/Turkey-farm-hit-by-bird.3479688.jp

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Avian Influenza H5 confirmed in Suffolk Helpline

If you need advice on avian flu please call the Defra Helpline on
08459 33 55 77 between 6.00am - 10.00pm Monday to Friday.

Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in turkeys on a premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border after preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain. The premises also contain ducks and geese. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered.
Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow.
A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone are being established around the Infected Premises. Inside these zones bird movements will be restricted and all birds must be housed or otherwise isolated from contact with wild birds. We are also urgently considering with ornithological and other experts what wider measures may be needed.
All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register will be notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/...nimal-1112.htm

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Avian Influenza H5 confirmed in Suffolk<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "Body" -->
Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in turkeys on a premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border after preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain. The premises also contain ducks and geese. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered.
Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow.
A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone are being established around the Infected Premises. Inside these zones bird movements will be restricted and all birds must be housed or otherwise isolated from contact with wild birds. We are also urgently considering with ornithological and other experts what wider measures may be needed.
All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register will be notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.
<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "Editors" -->Notes to editors<!-- #EndEditable -->

<!-- #BeginEditable "Notes" -->1. Avian Influenza is a disease of birds. Whilst it can pass very rarely and with difficulty to humans, this requires extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly faeces. Advice from the Food Standards Agency remains that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
2. All avian influenzas (H1 to H16) can be low pathogenic but only H5 and H7 are known to become highly pathogenic.
3. For further information, please visit the avian influenza pages on the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/avianflu
<!-- #EndEditable -->

End
Public enquiries: 08459 335577
News releases available on our website:

https://www.defra.gov.uk

Defra's aim is sustainable development

<!--End of Central Content editable text area --><!--Date Modified and Published--><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="PubDate" -->Page published: 12 November 2007

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/071112b.htm

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Bird flu found in eastern England
</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=center><TD width=80 bgColor=#ffffff>12.11.2007</TD><TD bgColor=#ffffff>Source: AP ?</TD><TD bgColor=#ffffff>URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/100696-Bird_flu-0</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Bird flu was registered in turkeys on a farm in eastern England, officials said, no definitive source found for the outbreak.</STRONG />
The department said the turkeys had tested positive for the H5 strain of the disease. It was not yet known whether it was the deadly H5NI strain, which has killed dozens of people around the world. </STRONG />
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said a 3 kilometer (2 mile) protection zone had been set up around a farm in Diss, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of London, and all 5,000 turkeys, geese and ducks on the premises would be slaughtered. </STRONG />
In February, an outbreak of H5NI bird flu on a poultry farm in the same part of England led to the slaughter of almost 160,000 turkeys. </STRONG />
Britain's first case of H5NI flu was in a swan in Scotland in 2006. </STRONG />
Bird flu has killed or prompted the culling of millions of birds worldwide since late 2003, when it first began ravaging Asian poultry stocks. It has killed at least 205 people worldwide, but remains hard for humans to catch. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/12-11-2007/100696-Bird_flu-0

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

LONDON, England (AP) -- An outbreak of bird flu has been detected on a poultry farm in eastern England, Briitish officials said Monday.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said tests had revealed avian influenza in turkeys on the premises near Diss on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk.
The agency said all birds on the infected premises will be culled, including approximately 5,000 turkey, 500 geese and over 1,000 ducks.
A two-mile protection zone and a six-mile surveillance zone are being established around the infected premises, the agency said

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/12/bird.flu/index.html

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

U.K. Finds Bird Flu on Farm; 5,000 Fowl to Be Killed (Update1)

By Kristen Hallam
<!-- WARNING: #foreach: $wnstory.ATTS: null at /bb/data/web/templates/webmacro_en/20670001.wm:107.2 --><!-- WARNING: #foreach: $wnstory.ATTS: null at /bb/data/web/templates/webmacro_en/20670001.wm:121.19 -->Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- About 5,000 turkeys will be slaughtered after U.K. officials found bird flu on a poultry farm on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.
The virus was the H5 subtype, and tests are being conducted to determine whether it is the deadly H5N1 strain that has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs said today in a statement. The farm is near Diss, about 99 miles from London.
A 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) protection zone and a 10-kilometer surveillance zone are being set up around the infected farm, Defra said. Within the zones, the movement of poultry will be restricted and all birds must be housed or isolate from contact with wild fowl, the agency said.
Britain reported its first outbreak of H5N1 in birds in February at a farm in Holton, England, operated by Bernard Matthews Holdings Ltd., Europe's largest poultry producer. More than 150,000 turkeys were killed to control the virus.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kristen Hallam in London at khallam@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: November 12, 2007 12:02 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...fer=healthcare#

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu in Norfolk Confirmed, november 12 +

Bird flu confirmed on farm in east England

Mon 12 Nov 2007, 17:21 GMT
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[-] Text [+]

(adds details, background)
LONDON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a turkey farm in eastern England although the exact strain is not yet known, Britain's farm ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said preliminary results from the farm on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk were positive for the H5 strain but it is not known if it is the deadly H5N1 variety which has swept across Asia, Europe and Africa.
All birds at the farm, which also houses ducks and geese, will be culled and protection and surveillance zones are being set up, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a statement.
"Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow," the ministry added.
Britain had an outbreak of the H5N1 strain in February at a turkey farm in Suffolk, eastern England.
The virus has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003, most of them in Asia, and millions of birds either died from it or been killed to prevent its spread.
Outbreaks have caused temporary declines in poultry sales in several European countries during the last couple of years.
"It is obviously regrettable ahead of Christmas but there is no reason it should not be contained at this stage," Ian Jones, Director of Research at Reading University's School of Animal and Microbial Sciences said.
Turkeys provide Britain's traditional Christmas dinner.
"This is concerning but we need to know more about the strain; it is also important to know where it's come from," Colin Butter of the Institute of Animal Health said.
"At present DEFRA is doing the right thing and there is no cause for public worry," he added.
The news is a further setback for British farmers who have already suffered outbreaks of foot and mouth and bluetongue diseases this year.
"Obviously this is another huge blow to the farming industry...and we will be working closely with DEFRA to do all we can to contain and eradicate this disease as quickly as possible," National Farmers Union president Peter Kendall said. (Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Peter Blackburn)

http://africa.reuters.com/commodities/news/usnL12133978.html