UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5N8

[nola_mnr]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30076961

The risk to public health and the food chain is low[...]

The strain of the flu has not been confirmed, but the deadly H5N1 strain has been ruled out.
[...]

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: Case of bird flu confirmed at Yorkshire duck farm

Re: Case of bird flu confirmed at Yorkshire duck farm

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/16/yorks...-as-officials-prepare-mass-slaughter-4950942/

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said a cordon has been set up around the farm as officials prepare for a mass slaughter of all ducks.

A spokesperson explained: ?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.
[...]

 

[nola_mnr]

Re: UK - Case of bird flu confirmed at Yorkshire duck farm - strain not known at this time

Re: UK - Case of bird flu confirmed at Yorkshire duck farm - strain not known at this time

http://news.sky.com/story/1374602/bird-flu-outbreak-at-duck-farm-in-yorkshire

[...]
[The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] said the type discovered at the duck farm is H5 - but not H5N1. The exact strain will be confirmed after final test results.
[...]

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Highly pathogenic bird flu found at UK farm in 3rd EU case - Strain unknown yet

Highly pathogenic bird flu found at UK farm in 3rd EU case - Strain unknown yet

Highly pathogenic bird flu found at UK farm in 3rd EU case

Posted by BNO News on November 17, 2014

LONDON, ENGLAND (BNO NEWS) — A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has been identified at a duck breeding farm in northern England, officials said on early Monday. It was not immediately clear whether it is the same strain that has also been found at farms in the Netherlands and Germany.

The British Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said the highly pathogenic bird flu strain was identified at a duck breeding farm in East Riding of Yorkshire. “Immediate action has been taken, including introducing a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) restriction zone and culling all poultry on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection,” the department said in a statement.

A declaration by the department requires those keeping poultry or other birds within the restriction zone to take a number of measures in an effort to prevent any spread of the disease. Measures taken include a ban on the movement of poultry, eggs, poultry meat, carcases and poultry litter.

“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,” a Defra spokeswoman said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway.

BNO News

SkyNews

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

DEFRA confirmation...

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Declaration of a Protection Zone and a Surveillance Zone following confirmation of Avian Influenza

The Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza is present in England. and has taken into account the criteria set out in article 29(5) of the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No 2) Order 20061 (?the Order?).

The Secretary of State declares the area described in Annex 1 to this Declaration to be a Protection Zone in which the measures set out in Schedule 4 to the Order apply (as replicated in the Annex).
The Secretary of State declares the area described in Annex 2 to this Declaration to be
a Surveillance Zone in which the measures set out in Schedule 5 to the Order apply
(as replicated in the Annex).
The Protection and Surveillance Zones are marked on the map in Annex 3.
These measures apply from 23:15 on 16th November 2014 until this Declaration is
withdrawn or amended by further declaration.
This Declaration is made under article 28 of the Order.

more....

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa..._data/file/375553/ai-pz-driffield-1411016.pdf

 

[Shiloh]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...rm-run-by-company-with-premises-in-China.html

Bird flu outbreak: affected farm run by company with premises in China
Farm operated by Cherry Valley Farms in East Yorkshire will cull 6,000 Pekin ducks destined for use in Chinese meals
By Gordon Rayner, and Sarah Knapton
3:32PM GMT 17 Nov 2014

The farm at the centre of the bird flu outbreak in East Yorkshire is run by a company which has 2.8 billion ducks in China and farms in Germany, it has emerged.

Cherry Valley Farms, which rears Pekin ducks for the Chinese food industry, will cull 6,000 birds at the farm near Driffield after a "highly pathogenic" strain of avian flu was discovered there.

The company rears seven million Pekin ducks in Britain every year.

The British outbreak comes after bird flu, which sometimes originates in Asia, was discovered in Germany and the Netherlands.

Investigators from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are currently trying to establish how the virus got to Britain. One possibility is that it was brought to the UK by migratory birds...

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

OIE

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, United Kingdom

Information received on 17/11/2014 from Dr Nigel Gibbens, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, LONDON, United Kingdom

Summary

Report type - Immediate notification
Date of start of the event - 14/11/2014
Date of pre-confirmation of the event - 16/11/2014
Report date - 17/11/2014
Date submitted to OIE - 17/11/2014
Reason for notification - Reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence - 20/08/2008
Manifestation of disease - Clinical disease
Causal agent - Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype - H5
Nature of diagnosis - Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to - the whole country

New outbreaks (1)
Outbreak 1 (AIV/2014/01) / Yorkshire, ENGLAND
Date of start of the outbreak / 14/11/2014
Outbreak status / Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit Farm

Affected animals
Species/ Susceptible/ Cases/ Deaths/ Destroyed/ Slaughtered
Birds/ 6000/ 338/ 0/ 0/

Affected population Housed duck breeding flock of approximately 6,000 60-week-old birds. ? The birds showed signs of slightly raised mortality and a gradual but marked drop in egg production. ? An underlying bacterial / fungal infection is likely to have preceded the infection by avian influenza contributing to presentation of clinical signs.

OIE

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

European Commission - Fact Sheet

Avian Influenza in The Netherlands and the UK: Commission backs emergency safeguard measures

Brussels, 17 November 2014

- snip -

Late evening on 16 November, the UK authorities informed the Commission of an outbreak of HPAI H5 on an indoor duck breeder farm. The culling of 6 000 ducks on the holding is arranged and the zoning around the outbreak has been applied. Epidemiological investigations are on-going. The information available indicates that the H5 virus in the UK is probably identical to the H5N8 HPAI virus found in The Netherlands and in Germany.

More : European Commission

 

[Shiloh]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5 Strain , not H5N1

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/11/18/health-birdflu-britain-idINL6N0T843V20141118


UPDATE 1-Britain confirms bird flu on northern English farm is H5N8 strain
Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:46pm IST
(Adds detail)

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday that tests had confirmed an outbreak of bird flu on a duck farm in northern England was the H5N8 strain, the same as the form of the virus which has hit a Dutch chicken farm and a German turkey farm.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said a cull of 6,000 ducks on the farm in east Yorkshire was continuing and should be completed later on Tuesday.

"The advice from the Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England remains that the risk to public health is very low," said a Defra spokeswoman...

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: UK - Highly pathogenic bird flu found at Yorkshire farm in 3rd EU case - H5N8

hat tip to Michael Coston for the link


<header class="block headings-block"> Press release
Avian flu (bird flu) outbreak in duck breeding farm in Yorkshire





<aside class="meta metadata-list"> <dl class="js-track-metadata-links" data-trackposition="top"><dt>From:</dt><dd class="js-hide-extra-metadata"> Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Animal and Plant Health Agency </dd><dt>First published:</dt><dd><abbr class="date" title="2014-11-17T10:41:00+00:00">17 November 2014</abbr></dd><dt>Last updated:</dt><dd> <abbr class="date" title="2014-11-18T14:48:51+00:00">18 November 2014</abbr> , see all updates </dd><dt>Part of:</dt><dd class="js-hide-extra-metadata"> Protecting animal health and preventing disease, including in trade, Food and farming and Wildlife and animal welfare </dd></dl>
</aside>
</header> Defra has confirmed a case of avian flu in a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire.



<aside class="lead-image-sidebar sidebar"><figure class="image embedded">

</figure></aside>

On 16 November Defra confirmed a case of avian flu (bird flu) in a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire. The strain has now been confirmed as H5N8, which is a very low risk to human health and no risk to the food chain.
Where to find information

These links will provide guidance to poultry keepers and to the public.

• Defra guidance: avian influenza (bird flu): latest situation; how to spot it and report it
• Public Health England: Avian influenza outbreak in Yorkshire - risk to public health extremely low
• Food Standards Agency advice: avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.

Latest news

18 November - update on cull of poultry at affected farm

As part of our robust action in response to the confirmed case of avian flu, the culling of 6,000 ducks is underway on the affected farm in east Yorkshire. The cull is to prevent the spread of potential infection, and is being carried out in a safe and humane manner by fully trained <abbr title="Animal and Plant and Health Agency">APHA</abbr> staff. Our response to this outbreak follows tried and tested procedures for dealing with avian flu outbreaks and we expect the cull to be completed later today.
Additionally, our animal health laboratory at Weybridge has confirmed that the outbreak in East Yorkshire is the H5N8 strain. The advice from the Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England remains that the risk to public health is very low. The Food Standards Agency have said there is no food safety risk for consumers.
Background

Immediate action has been taken to control the outbreak including introducing a 10km restriction zone and a complete cull of all 6,000 birds on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection.
The case confirmed on Sunday afternoon has been identified as a H5 avian flu strain and tests are being run to identify the exact strain of the disease. Public Health England have confirmed the risk to public health is extremely low and we have ruled out the H5N1 strain that is infectious for humans.
Investigations are now ongoing to discover whether the outbreak is linked to cases found in Netherlands and Germany with further test results expected over the coming days.
The UK has a strong track record of controlling and eliminating previous outbreaks of avian flu and all action will be taken to control this outbreak to prevent a further spread of the disease.
The restriction zone bans movements of all poultry, products and waste within the area. Poultry must be housed or isolated in the zone. Bird gatherings (fairs, shows, exhibitions) are banned and game birds cannot be released.
For media enquiries only please contact Defra press office on 02072386007. For other enquiries contact the Defra Helpline: 03459 33 55 77
If anyone suspects any strain of avian influenza you must contact your nearest <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/animal-and-plant-health-agency/about/access-and-opening">Animal and Plant and Health Agency (<abbr title="Animal and Plant and Health Agency">A</abbr>

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-outbreak-in-duck-breeding-farm-in-yorkshire