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**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 01:04 PM

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

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UK bird flu outbreak confirmed as H5N1

17:50 13 November 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Debora MacKenzie

The outbreak of bird flu killing turkeys at a UK farm has been confirmed to be the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus that has been moving across Eurasia and has so far killed 206 people, mainly in Asia. It is only the second outbreak of the virus in poultry in the UK.
Staff at Redgrave Park farm, near the town of Diss in Suffolk, found on Sunday morning that 60 turkeys out of a flock of 1000 had died overnight.
Turkeys are exceptionally sensitive to H5N1, and the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed the outbreak as H5N1 on Tuesday afternoon. All 5000 birds on the farm have now been destroyed.
The UK's first outbreak of H5N1 in poultry, in Norfolk in February 2007, is thought to have come from Hungary in imported turkey meat. But Redgrave Park is said to have received no deliveries that could have brought in infected poultry for four weeks. Scientists point out that enough H5N1 to infect turkeys could be brought into a barn by someone who has walked in infected bird droppings.
The source of the virus might be clearer when its genetic sequence is determined, as this will show which other viruses it is most closely related to. "The initial sequence data suggests that it's closely related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany," says the UK's acting chief veterinary officer, Fred Landeg. This, "does suggest a possible wild bird source", he adds.
H5N1 was found this summer in dead wild birds in Germany, France and the Czech Republic. This strain matched the viruses found in poultry outbreaks in Germany.
Wildlife risk

Redgrave Park farm is located very close to a large ornamental lake used by wild birds, and is four kilometres from a wetlands nature reserve.
The reserve, England's largest remaining river fen, is internationally protected under the RAMSAR treaty on wetlands and home to several endangered species. It also harbours several species of dabbling duck, which would have flown into the area from breeding grounds in Siberia over the past two months.
Autumn is when the ducks, which can carry H5N1 with no symptoms, are most likely to be carrying bird flu. The UK's first outbreak was also near a wetland reserve. Domestic ducks can also harbour the virus without showing signs.
However H5N1 got into the area, swans and birds of prey in the wetlands, which die of the virus, could now be at risk.
Bird Flu – Learn more about the flu pandemic that could kill millions in our continually updated special report.

Page has gone | New Scientist

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12915&print=true

**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 01:14 PM

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

Deadly Bird Flu Virus Found in UK Birds
By THOMAS WAGNER
Associated Press Writer
 
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table>   </td> </tr> </tbody></table>   LONDON (AP) -- An outbreak of bird flu at a poultry farm in eastern England was confirmed Tuesday as H5N1 - the same virulent strain that has killed scores of people around the world.
Bird flu's return to Britain - weeks before the Christmas holidays - is a yet another blow to Britain's farmers, already struggling after livestock herds were hit this year by
foot-and-mouth and bluetongue.

Thousands of free-range turkeys, ducks and geese were being slaughtered at a farm in Redgrave in the county of Suffolk, about 80 miles northeast of London.
The source of the outbreak has not been identified but was closely related to the strains found in the Czech Republic and Germany earlier this year, acting Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg said.
If the bird flu spreads, it could devastate the hugely profitable Christmas trade in poultry.
A two-mile protection zone and a six-mile surveillance zone were set up around the infected farm, and further restrictions were imposed over Suffolk and much of the neighboring county of Norfolk.
The alarm was raised Sunday after a rise in death rates among birds owned by poultry producer Gressingham Foods, based in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Landeg said Britain had successfully contained an outbreak of H5N1 earlier this year in Suffolk that led to the slaughter of 160,000 turkeys.
"With respect to this outbreak, there is still some uncertainty. We are at a very early stage of the investigation, and no two outbreaks of disease are ever the same," he said.
Bird flu has killed or prompted the slaughter of millions of birds worldwide since late 2003, when it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks. It has killed at least 206 people worldwide since 2003.
Experts believe most victims were probably infected through direct contact with sick birds.
Bird flu is difficult for humans to catch but experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a flu pandemic.

In Europe, H5N1 previously was found in France, Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere. Human cases have been recorded in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Britain's first case of H5N1 was in a swan in Scotland in 2006. In April 2006, chickens on a farm in Norfolk tested positive for the H7 subtype of the virus.
International experts said it was not surprising that more H5 had been detected in Britain, particularly since surveillance systems worldwide are now geared to spot the virus.
"The more we look for H5, the more we will find," said Juan Lubroth, head of infectious diseases, animal services, at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Earlier this year, there were several human cases in Britain of H7N2, a strain that also has pandemic potential.
"Europe has already faced many H5N1 challenges in the past. ... What is happening in the U.K. doesn't add anything particularly new to the situation," said Dr. Angus Nicoll, influenza coordinator at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 02:34 PM

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

H5N1 bird flu 'brought to UK by wild fowl'

By Nick Allen

Last Updated: 7:12pm GMT 13/11/2007



<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Migrating birds from eastern Europe have been blamed for bringing the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu to Britain after it was discovered at a farm preparing to supply Christmas turkeys to Waitrose.
Bird flu Q&A: Is it safe to eat turkey? Some 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese are being slaughtered at the free range Redgrave Park Farm in Suffolk after H5N1, which has killed more than 200 people around the world since 2003, was identified.
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0" width="618"><tbody><tr><td width="618"><center></center></td></tr><tr><td class="caption"><center>Carcasses of culled birds being loaded on to a truck at the farm in Redgrave, Suffolk</center></td></tr></tbody></table>Acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said the outbreak appeared to be "closely related" to ones this summer in the Czech Republic and Germany.
He said: "It does suggest a possible wild bird source but at this stage we are keeping an open mind as to the origin. That includes movement of people and vehicles on to the farm.
"There is a lake nearby and there are a number of wildfowl of different species on the lake. As the turkeys, ducks and geese were free range we cannot exclude the possibility of mingling."
The discovery was a body blow to the poultry industry as it prepares to sell 10 million turkeys during the festive season.
There were fears that consumers could abandon turkey and the Food Standards Agency moved to reassure customers poultry meat was still safe to eat as long as it was cooked properly.
A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "The farm was due to supply us with a small percentage of our Christmas turkeys, ducks and geese. It is a relatively small farm and it would have accounted for less than 2.5 per cent of all our Christmas turkeys. We will be working closely with other farms that supply us and we are confident we will meet public demand."
The disease was discovered when 60 birds died in one of the farm's five turkey sheds overnight on Sunday. The incubation period for the disease is three to five days. The bird sheds are less than 200 yards from a large ornamental lake which is home to scores of wild swans and Canadian geese.
Protection and surveillance zones were set at 3km and 10km around the farm, restricting the movement of birds and requiring them to be housed and isolated from wild birds.
About 90 poultry keepers with three million birds are inside the surveillance zone. A further restriction zone was imposed on the whole of Suffolk and most of Norfolk with no movement of birds outside that area permitted.
The farm is operated by Redgrave Poultry, a subsidiary of poultry producer Gressingham Foods. Its most famous product is Gressingham Duck which appears on the menus of restaurants run by Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes.
But Gressingham spokesman Adam Wurf said there were no Gressingham Ducks at the infected farm. "It is a seasonal farm rearing birds for Christmas," he said. "None were slaughtered or sent to retailers before this outbreak so no birds from the farm will have entered the food chain."
The farm's operations director Geoffrey Buchanan said Gressingham Foods imported some prepared meat products, as well as buying in day-old poultry from Holland, but no imports had been taken to the infected site.
After the outbreak a dozen black-feathered turkeys were spotted dead in a field beside their sheds. A witness said: "They were dropping like flies. Several were lying around with their legs in the air."
The H5N1 strain was found in domestic hens in the Czech Republic in July. It was found in domestic poultry and wild birds in Germany between July and September.
The outbreak is the latest body blow to Britain's farmers in a cruel year that has also seen livestock struck down with foot and mouth and bluetongue.
NFU president Peter Kendall "When you look at the industry it's been decimated over the last few months. Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth said: "This is yet another nightmare for the farming community and we can only hope that this is an isolated case."
The RSPB warned against assuming the disease had been spread by wild birds, a claim inaccurately made in the last case of H5N1 in February in which nearly 160,000 birds were culled.
A report by Defra into the outbreak at the Bernard Matthews poultry plant in Holton, Suffolk, 20 miles from the current outbreak, said it was most likely the infection reached the flock via imported turkey meat from Hungary.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 02:45 PM

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

Key questions raised by H5N1 case
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom>By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


There are two scientific questions that urgently need to be answered in the wake of the latest outbreak of bird flu being identified as the virulent H5N1 strain.

Firstly, how did it get onto the Redgrave Park Farm, near Diss, Suffolk, and, secondly, will it spread beyond the site?
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has set up a full epidemiological investigation to answer these questions.
The government's acting chief vet, Fred Landeg, has said investigators are keeping an open mind.
But we do now know that the virus found at the farm is of Asian lineage and is of the same form that infected birds in the Czech Republic and Germany.
The affected farm is free range and its owners have not imported feed from overseas.

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=fact>The priority now for Defra vets is to reduce the possibility of the spread of the disease

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

These two facts suggest that the virus arrived in the UK from migratory birds rather than cross-contamination from an overseas factory.
If that is the case, the worry is that wild birds in the UK might have bird flu and that this current outbreak will be the first of many that erupt from time to time.
A more hopeful scenario is that the infection was spread by a transient bird and that the current culling might have nipped the disease in the bud.

If there are more infections of domestic poultry in the coming weeks and months, we will know that the disease is in Britain's wild bird population.
More culls
Even if that's not happened on this occasion, many scientists believe that it is inevitable that H5N1 will eventually establish itself in the UK .
The priority now for Defra vets is to reduce the possibility of the spread of the disease.
They are currently trying to identify flocks outside of the farm that may have been exposed to infection.
Once identified, those flocks will also be culled.
Another way of controlling any spread of the disease is through Defra's poultry register - a data base currently consisting of poultry farmers who own more than 50 birds.
Mr Landeg has now asked poultry keepers with less than 50 birds to register and to report any signs of disease in their flocks straight away.
"It's extremely important that poultry keepers in the area are vigilant," he said.
Although the risk of the disease spreading to humans is very low, Mr Landeg has urged poultry keepers to follow strict bio-security procedures and to follow simple hygiene measures.

Story from BBC NEWS:

BBC NEWS | UK | Key questions raised by H5N1 case

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7093427.stm

BBC, News, BBC News, news online, world, uk, international, foreign, british, online, service

Published: 2007/11/13 18:55:51 GMT

**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 02:51 PM

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

Turkey farm bird flu is H5N1 strain

Press Association
Tuesday November 13, 2007 6:58 PM
A highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in free-range turkeys on a farm in East Anglia.
Acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said the disease found in the poultry in Redgrave, Suffolk, was closely related to one found in birds in the Czech Republic and Germany in the summer.
Dr Landeg said the discovery suggested the virus could have been spread to the UK by wild birds, but insisted animal health experts were keeping an open mind and investigating all possible sources of infection.
A cull of 5,000 turkeys, more than 1,000 ducks and 500 geese on the rearing unit site is under way after the alarm was raised by poultry producer Gressingham Foods, based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, on Sunday following turkey deaths at Redgrave Park farm.
Protection and surveillance zones, set at 3km and 10km respectively, and a wider restricted area covering the whole of Suffolk and much of Norfolk have been put in place, restricting the movement of birds and requiring them to be housed and isolated from wild birds.
A report by Defra into the last outbreak of H5N1 at the Bernard Matthews poultry plant in Holton, Suffolk, in February - initially blamed on wild birds - later said it was most likely the H5N1 infection reached the flock via imported turkey meat from Hungary.
Redgrave Poultry, a subsidiary of Gressingham Foods, which operates the organic farm at the centre of the new outbreak said it was a seasonal operation, preparing organic poultry for Christmas.
The company's operations director Geoffrey Buchanan said no infected birds from the farm had entered the food chain. He added that Gressingham Foods imports meat products, as well as day-old poultry from Holland, but said no imported meat or birds had been taken to the infected farm.
There is a lake at the site with a number of wildfowl on it and while all efforts were made to keep the poultry and wild birds separate, there were circumstances under which they could come into contact, the company said.
Dr Landeg urged poultry keepers to remain vigilant and maintain high levels of biosecurity to prevent the disease spreading. He also reiterated assurances that H5N1 avian flu, which can be fatal to humans, is primarily a bird disease which rarely spreads to people and then only when they are in close contact with birds.

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**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 03:43 PM

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

AVIAN INFLUENZA (169): UK (ENGLAND), TURKEYS, H5N1 CONFIRMED
************************************************** **********
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: Tue 13 Nov 2007
Source: BBC News [edited]
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7092988.stm>

The type of bird flu found in turkeys on a Suffolk farm is the
virulent H5N1 strain, according to government vets.

The virus was discovered on Sunday [11 Nov 2007] at Redgrave Park
Farm near Diss, where all 6500 birds, most of them turkeys, are being
slaughtered.

A 3 km (2 mi) protection zone and a 10 km (6 mi) surveillance zone
have been set up and the farm is co-operating with vets. Acting chief
veterinary officer Fred Landeg made the announcement at a press
conference in London.

All birds at the affected premises -- including approximately 5000
turkeys, 1000 ducks, and 500 geese -- will be slaughtered.

Police officers are at the entrance to the farm, and vehicles are
being sprayed with a jet hose.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said
some 10 percent of birds in one shed at the farm had died during one
night.

Mr Landeg said there was "still some uncertainty" over the situation.
"We are at a very early stage of the investigation," he 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. However, at this stage we are looking with an open mind
as to the origin and all potential sources of the origin will be
investigated."

Mr Landeg also said there was a lake at the affected site with a
number of wild fowl on it.

"We are still at a very early stage of the investigation and no 2
outbreaks of the disease are ever the same.

"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.

"It is extremely important that poultry keepers, particularly in the
locality, are vigilant and on the lookout for disease, and report it
quickly. In addition we want every poultry keeper in the area to be
well aware of bio-security."

Earlier, Mr Landeg had said the risk of bird flu spreading was
increased during the autumn months because of wild bird migration.

The affected birds were free-range -- meaning they had access to the
outdoors and may have been of greater risk of catching the disease.

There was a H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm, also in Suffolk, in
February [2007] [see commentary].

The BBC's Andrew Sinclair, who is at the farm in Suffolk, said large
trucks and gas canisters had been moved on to the premises earlier in
preparation for the cull. It is expected that all the birds will be
gassed and then put in sealed containers.

Officials said further local surveillance work would happen before
deciding on any culls on neighbouring farms.

Heather Peck, Defra's regional operations manager for animal health,
said: "The top priority is to get controls in place, to inform people
of the controls in place and that's largely done electronically these
days.

"The immediate priority for us here is both to cull the affected
birds on the infected premises and to establish any possible contact
or any potential traces of movement between those premises, or
related premises or premises in the immediate vicinity."

Environment secretary Hilary Benn is due to make a statement to the
House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon [13 Nov 2007].

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

******
[2]
Date: Tue 13 Nov 2007
Source: DEFRA news release, ref 418/07 [edited]
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/071113b.htm>

H5N1 avian influenza confirmed in poultry
-----------------------------------------
Following further test results from the Veterinary Laboratories
Agency (VLA) the acting chief veterinary officer has confirmed that
the strain of avian influenza present at the Infected Premises near
Diss is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. Further characterisation
of the virus is in progress, which may give an indication of the
origin of the strain.

Local authorities and Animal Health are enforcing a 3 km (2 mi)
Protection Zone, a 10 km (6 mi) Surveillance Zone and a wider
Restricted Zone covering the whole of Suffolk and most of Norfolk
around the Infected Premises. In these zones, movement restrictions
will be imposed and poultry must be isolated from wild birds. In
addition, it has been announced that the national general licence on
bird gatherings has been revoked, and bird shows and pigeon racing
will not be permitted for the time being.

A full epidemiological investigation and tracings of any dangerous
contacts are underway and all possible sources of the outbreak will
be investigated.

Fred Landeg, the acting chief veterinary officer said: "We are
keeping all poultry keepers registered on the Great Britain Poultry
register informed of the developing situation and I must stress how
important it is for all poultry keepers in the locality to be
extremely vigilant. They must report any suspicions of disease to
their Animal Health office immediately and practice the highest
levels of biosecurity.

"We have faced H5N1 once already this year [2007], but there is still
significant uncertainty surrounding this outbreak. Swift reporting of
disease and stringent biosecurity is essential to controlling this
disease and we are working to our established contingency plans.

The European Commission has been informed of this development.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The distance between the location of the current outbreak, at Diss,
and the previous, February 2007 outbreak, which affected turkeys in
Upper Holton, Halesworth, Suffolk (red circle) -- is about 16 miles
(25 km); see map at
<http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&map=52.364791.52224|14|4&loc=GB:52.36479:1.52
224:14&dp=841#t=l&map=52.36258,1.39881|11|4&dp=841 &loc=GB:52.36479:1.52224:14>.

Mr Landeg's statement that the initial sequence data (of the current
H5N1 strain) suggests close relatedness to outbreaks in the Czech
Republic and Germany, deserves attention. A very high similarity
(99.96 percent) at the whole genome level was revealed in February
(2007) between the H5N1 viruses found in Suffolk and the Hungarian
outbreaks. These results were said to indicate that the viruses were
essentially identical (see
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2007/animal-0213.htm>).

The relatively short distance between the 2 foci in Suffolk is
intriguing; it will be interesting to obtain information on the
similarity level between the H5N1 strains isolated from them. The
possible involvement of wild avians -- to which Mr Landeg referred --
deserves further investigation. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Avian influenza (168): UK (England), turkeys, H5 20071112.3674
Avian influenza (90) - UK (Wales): LPAI H7N2, epid. control 20070527.1709
Avian influenza (89) - UK (Wales): LPAI H7N2, 2nd location, susp 20070526.1692
Avian influenza (34): UK (England), Hungary, Indonesia (Madura) 20070215.0572
Avian influenza (33): UK-Hungary virus sequence 20070213.0543
Avian influenza (27): UK (England) 20070207.0477
Avian influenza (24): UK (England), turkeys H5N1 20070203.0432
Avian influenza (23): UK (England), turkeys H5 20070202.0427
Avian influenza (22): UK (England), turkeys H5 20070202.0424]
...................................arn/mj/lm

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**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 03:51 PM

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

[quote=niman;108714]AVIAN INFLUENZA (169): UK (ENGLAND), TURKEYS, H5N1 CONFIRMED

[The distance between the location of the current outbreak, at Diss,
and the previous, February 2007 outbreak, which affected turkeys in
Upper Holton, Halesworth, Suffolk (red circle) -- is about 16 miles
(25 km); see map at
<http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&map=52.364791.52224|14|4&loc=GB:52.36479:1.52
224:14&dp=841#t=l&map=52.36258,1.39881|11|4&dp=841 &loc=GB:52.36479:1.52224:14>.

Mr Landeg's statement that the initial sequence data (of the current
H5N1 strain) suggests close relatedness to outbreaks in the Czech
Republic and Germany, deserves attention. A very high similarity
(99.96 percent) at the whole genome level was revealed in February
(2007) between the H5N1 viruses found in Suffolk and the Hungarian
outbreaks. These results were said to indicate that the viruses were
essentially identical (see
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2007/animal-0213.htm>).

The relatively short distance between the 2 foci in Suffolk is
intriguing; it will be interesting to obtain information on the
similarity level between the H5N1 strains isolated from them. The
possible involvement of wild avians -- to which Mr Landeg referred --
deserves further investigation. - Mod.AS]

The above ProMed commentary is curious. The sequences from Hungary and an earlier turkey isoaltes are public. Alkthough they are 99.96% identical with each other, they are clearly distinct from the recent sequences in Germany. These sequences were closley related to Tyva/Mongolai sequences, which are also public. Similarly, the recent sequence from Krasnodar is public, and matches the descriptions for the German sequences.

Thus, it is clear that the Tyve/Mongolia sequences from 2006 are most closley related to the 2007 sequences from Germany, and the relatedness of the Karsnodar sequences with Tyve/Mongolia suggests that they would be the public sequences that are most closely related to recent sequences from Germany/Czech Republic/England, which indicates that the proximity of the early outbreak is of interest to cartographers, but not to scientists tracing the origins of the recent H5N1 outbreak in England.

Time for hopes and dreams has passed.

**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 04:57 PM

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

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2866196.ece

Deadly flu infects free-range birds

Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor and Gary Duncan, Economics Editor

Government vets gave warning last night that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu may already be endemic in the British wild bird population as an outbreak was confirmed on a Suffolk turkey farm.
An urgent inquiry was under way last night to identify the source of the latest outbreak as culling began of the 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese at Redgrave Park Farm, near Diss. Poultry on another two farms feared to have been in contact with the infected farm may be culled in the next few days.
The arrival of the virus comes at the worst time for the poultry industry as it prepares for Christmas. East Anglia produces about a third of Britain’s turkeys and there are fears that if the virus takes hold the £400 million market for Christmas birds will be lost. There are three million birds alone in the 10km (six-mile) surveillance zone around Redgrave Park Farm.
Protection and surveillance zones of 3km and 10km were put in place around the infected farm, owned by the poultry producer Guy Topham, based in Wood-bridge, Suffolk.
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>function pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) {var newWin = window.open(pubUrl+'template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id='+articleId+'&&offset=0 &&sectionName=UKScience','mywindow','menubar=0,res izable=0,width=615,height=655');}</SCRIPT>Related Links

Poor hygiene may mean killer virus has spread

There is particular concern that the infected free-range turkeys had been allowed to mingle with wild birds that gather at an ornamental lake which is part of the infected farm premises, and that a reservoir of virus may have built up in the bird population on the farm.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced further restrictions throughout the whole of Suffolk and most of Norfolk.
Birds on farms in these areas were locked indoors as farmers and hobby keepers wait to find out whether the virus is circulating in the wild bird population. The arrival of the deadly bird flu, which tests have shown to be an identical strain to that found in outbreaks in the Czech Republic and southern Germany this autumn, came as another hammer blow for a rural economy already struggling to recover from the summer outbreaks of foot- and-mouth and bluetongue diseases.
The impact on the poultry industry will boost already soaring food prices, at a time when these are combining with the surging cost of petrol to inflict serious strains on the finances of households across the country.
Britain is facing an increasingly bleak winter as the nation confronts sharp rises in the cost of living before Christmas, while fears grow that a looming slump in the housing market will deepen the expected downturn across the economy.
Fred Landeg, the Government’s acting chief veterinary officer, appealed for calm last night and emphasised that avian flu was essentially a disease for birds and not humans, and that it was very difficult for people to contract the virus. However, some GPs were reporting an increase in requests for the winter flu inoculation.
Since the H5N1 strain spread from Asia to Europe and Africa in 2003 a total of 300 people have become infected though more than half have died.
Five poultry workers who had day- to-day contact with the infected turkeys have already been treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu.All state veterinary surgeons, animal health officers, slaughtermen and anyone else involved in the cull are also being offered the treatment. The cull of the 5,000 turkeys, 1,200 ducks and 500 geese was hindered by the lack of facilities on the site. There is no electricity and only one tap, with extra equipment being brought in.
It also emerged yesterday that the Prime Minister has ordered a review of UK food security.Gordon Brown has asked the Cabinet Office strategy unit to study how food supplies can be protected and the role farming can play to combat climate change.

**HenryN** · November 13, 2007, 07:05 PM

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

Commentary at

H5N1 in Suffolk England Match Wild Bird Sequences

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11130704/H5N1_Suffolk_WB_Match.html

Recombinomics Commentary

**AlaskaDenise** · November 13, 2007, 09:32 PM

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

Originally posted by niman View Post

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11..._WB_Match.html

Commentary

H5N1 in Suffolk England Match Wild Bird Sequences
Recombinomics Commentary
November 13, 2007

Mr Landeg's statement that the initial sequence data (of the current H5N1 strain) suggests close relatedness to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany, deserves attention. A very high similarity (99.96 percent) at the whole genome level was revealed in February
(2007) between the H5N1 viruses found in Suffolk and the Hungarian outbreaks.

The relatively short distance between the 2 foci in Suffolk is intriguing; it will be interesting to obtain information on the similarity level between the H5N1 strains isolated from them. The possible involvement of wild avians -- to which Mr Landeg referred --
deserves further investigation.

The above remarks in a ProMed commentary are curious, because the issue of related has already been addressed by public sequences coupled with statements from the agencies sequencing H5N1 in Germany and England. These comments suggest the recent H5N1 infections in England were related to the sequences in Germany and the Czech Republic, which were easily distinguished from the H5N1 sequences from the earlier outbreaks in England and Hungary (the sequences in Hungary and England were 99.96% identical)

All of the H5N1 linked to wild birds west of China have been the Qinghai strain (clade 2.2). However, these sequences have multiple markers that allow the isolates to be placed into sub-clades based on phylogenetic analysis, which is quite straight forward.

This type of analysis generated a number of Qinghai (clade 2.2) sub-clades based on sequences from infections in the 2005/2006 season. Most of the Europen isolates were from fatal wild bird infections in early 2006, In Germany there were three sub-clades. One was in northern Germany and closely related to H5N1 from Denmark. Another was in Bavaria and closely related to H5N1 from Switzerland. A third sub-clade was in southern Germany and most closely related to sequences from Italy, Austria, and Ukraine.

In 2007 there was an outbreak in Hungary which was distinct from the 2006 isolates. The earlier outbreak in England was 99.96% identical, raising the possibility that the relationship was due to transport of the H5N1 sequences to England by a company that had facilities in both countries.

In the summer of 2007, outbreaks were reported in wild birds in the Czech Republic and Germany. Although each location had slightly different versions of H5N1, all were distinct from the prior isolates in Europe. Instead, the sequences were most closely related to 2006 isolates from Tyva/Mongolia. These sequences were from a massive outbreak there in the spring/summer of 2006. The size of the outbreak was similar to the outbreak at Qinghai Lake in 2005 and raised the possibility that the Tyva/Mongolia strain would appear in Europe in late 2006 / early 2007. However, although H5N1 was reported in Russia, the Middle East, and Africa, there was little H5N1 reported in Europe.

The detection of H5N1 in large numbers of wild birds in summer suggested that H5N1 had become endemic in Europe because long range migration was minimal over the summer, and many of the wild birds were resident birds.

However, in early 2007 there were many versions of H5N1 emerging that had evolved from the 2006 isolates. Isolates in Moscow, Egypt, and Ghana had the same change, NA G743A, suggesting a common source was circulating undetected.

Recently a full sequence from Krasnodar was published. Like the German and Czech sequences, it was also most closely related to the Tyva/Mongolia sequences, and it had G743A, suggesting these sequences were circulating undetected in late 2006/early 2007 and went undetected until the summer of 2007.

The presence of similar sequences in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Krasnodar suggested that similar sequences would appear in Europe because the sequence was widespread in wild bird populations.

The detection of similar sequences in the recent isolates from England further supports introduction by wild birds and endemic H5N1 in Europe.

.

**Coleman** · November 14, 2007, 02:05 AM

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