UK: Bird flu outbreak 'false alarm'
A Suffolk farm where turkeys were slaughtered on suspicion they were part of a new bird flu outbreak, has been given the all-clear, the owners say.
The cull of poultry at Grove Farm in Botesdale was ordered after dozens of birds were found dead by officials.
The farm is inside the 3km protection zone around Redgrave Park Farm where H5N1 bird flu was confirmed on Tuesday.
But Redgrave Poultry, which runs both farms, said 30 birds tested after they were found dead did not have the virus.
'Slaughter on suspicion'
A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said they could not confirm that the birds at Grove Farm were free from the virus until all the results were in.
But Geoffrey Buchanan, operations director of Redgrave Poultry, said: "Defra has confirmed that the culling of all the birds at Grove Farm is now complete.
"It has also informed us that the 30 dead turkeys, which rightly resulted in a raising of the status to slaughter on suspicion, have tested negative for avian influenza."
A slaughter of poultry at Redgrave Park Farm, where the bird flu outbreak has been confirmed, was being completed.
Mr Buchanan said precautionary culls were also under way at three additional farms that are operated by the company.
They are Stone House Farm in West Harling and Bridge Farm in Pulham, both in Norfolk, plus Hill Meadow in Knettishall, Suffolk.
All three are outside the 10km (six-mile) surveillance zone around Redgrave Park Farm but lie within the wider restricted zone, covering much of Suffolk and Norfolk.
Defra ordered the culling of a total of 22,000 free-range turkeys at these three farms after it was decided there was a danger they had been exposed to the virus because the farms share workers with Redgrave Farm.
But Mr Buchanan said: "To date, Defra's tests have shown no evidence of avian influenza at any of the five farms other than Redgrave Park."
With 6,500 turkeys, ducks and geese being culled at the free-range rearing unit at Redgrave Park Farm, which is near Diss, the total of birds being slaughtered is approaching 30,000.
A Suffolk farm where turkeys were slaughtered on suspicion they were part of a new bird flu outbreak, has been given the all-clear, the owners say.
The cull of poultry at Grove Farm in Botesdale was ordered after dozens of birds were found dead by officials.
The farm is inside the 3km protection zone around Redgrave Park Farm where H5N1 bird flu was confirmed on Tuesday.
But Redgrave Poultry, which runs both farms, said 30 birds tested after they were found dead did not have the virus.
'Slaughter on suspicion'
A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said they could not confirm that the birds at Grove Farm were free from the virus until all the results were in.
But Geoffrey Buchanan, operations director of Redgrave Poultry, said: "Defra has confirmed that the culling of all the birds at Grove Farm is now complete.
"It has also informed us that the 30 dead turkeys, which rightly resulted in a raising of the status to slaughter on suspicion, have tested negative for avian influenza."
A slaughter of poultry at Redgrave Park Farm, where the bird flu outbreak has been confirmed, was being completed.
Mr Buchanan said precautionary culls were also under way at three additional farms that are operated by the company.
They are Stone House Farm in West Harling and Bridge Farm in Pulham, both in Norfolk, plus Hill Meadow in Knettishall, Suffolk.
All three are outside the 10km (six-mile) surveillance zone around Redgrave Park Farm but lie within the wider restricted zone, covering much of Suffolk and Norfolk.
Defra ordered the culling of a total of 22,000 free-range turkeys at these three farms after it was decided there was a danger they had been exposed to the virus because the farms share workers with Redgrave Farm.
But Mr Buchanan said: "To date, Defra's tests have shown no evidence of avian influenza at any of the five farms other than Redgrave Park."
With 6,500 turkeys, ducks and geese being culled at the free-range rearing unit at Redgrave Park Farm, which is near Diss, the total of birds being slaughtered is approaching 30,000.