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Mass turkey cull to halt bird flu Experts hunt for bird flu source
(about 10 hours later)
Tens of thousands of turkeys are being culled at a Suffolk farm as efforts continue to prevent the spread of a mass outbreak of bird flu. Experts are still trying to determine the source of an outbreak of bird flu at a Suffolk farm as a cull of thousands of turkeys nears its end.
Government vets say 50,000 turkeys have been gassed so far at the Bernard Matthews site near Lowestoft where the H5N1 strain of the virus was found. Government vets said nearly 160,000 turkeys will have been gassed to contain the outbreak at the Bernard Matthews site near Lowestoft.
Officials, who said a further 100,000 birds would be killed, denied they had responded slowly to the outbreak. They say the H5N1 strain was similar to a case in geese in Hungary in January.
Sealed lorry loads of carcasses are being taken 200 miles to be destroyed. The outbreak has also led to industry concerns that unfounded fears over the safety of poultry may hit sales.
CompensationCompensation
Government vets said 50,000 turkeys had been gassed at the farm at Holton, about 27km south-west of Lowestoft, by 1300 GMT on Sunday. Bernard Matthews, meanwhile, will be entitled to receive compensation under the Animal Health Act for all healthy birds slaughtered to control diseases.
The cull is expected to be completed by Monday morning. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the firm could claim under the Animal Health Act 1981 the value of each bird just before slaughter as well as that of any eggs and property removed and destroyed.
Fourteen sealed lorries containing the bird carcasses were travelling to a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, on Sunday evening where they will be destroyed. class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6329489.stm">Bird watchers stay vigilant
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that the Bernard Matthews company will be entitled to compensation for the slaughtered birds.
Q&A: Bird flu Send us your comments
The company could claim under the Animal Health Act 1981 the value of each bird just before slaughter as well as that of any eggs and property removed and destroyed, a spokesman said.
Investigations are continuing into how the disease, identified as the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, entered the poultry flock.Investigations are continuing into how the disease, identified as the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, entered the poultry flock.
Some experts have suggested it might have been spread by wild birds. There are suggestions the most likely way for the virus to have been spread by wild birds.
But BBC environment correspondent Sarah Mukherjee said migration does not take place at this time of year and there were no indications of an EU outbreak from monitoring programmes.
The experts acknowledge it may be impossible to trace the exact cause of the outbreak, our correspondent said.
Exclusion zone
The cull at the farm at Holton, about 27km south-west of Lowestoft is expected to be completed by Monday morning.
Farmer reacts to threat
Fourteen sealed lorries containing the bird carcasses have been travelling to a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, where they will be incinerated.
The first turkeys died at the site on Tuesday and government vets were called in on Thursday after a vet for the Bernard Matthews company concluded the disease was "unidentifiable".The first turkeys died at the site on Tuesday and government vets were called in on Thursday after a vet for the Bernard Matthews company concluded the disease was "unidentifiable".
The authorities have denied their response was slow.The authorities have denied their response was slow.
Fred Landeg, the government's deputy chief vet, said that although the company vet was called out on Tuesday, turkeys only began to die in significant numbers two days later, suggesting avian flu might be cause.Fred Landeg, the government's deputy chief vet, said that although the company vet was called out on Tuesday, turkeys only began to die in significant numbers two days later, suggesting avian flu might be cause.
href="/1/hi/uk/6329969.stm">Farmer reacts to threat href="/1/hi/health/3422839.stm">Q&A: Bird flu class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5429&edition=1">Send us your comments name="text">
"The premises were immediately placed under restrictions and an investigation started," he said.
A biosecurity zone has been set up around the farm and poultry owners in the restricted area have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds.A biosecurity zone has been set up around the farm and poultry owners in the restricted area have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds.
A three-kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone also remain in place around the farm site.A three-kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone also remain in place around the farm site.
A much wider restricted zone covering 2,090 sq km is bordered by the A140 to the west and the A47 to the north and almost to Felixstowe in the south.
What each zone meansWhat each zone means
A much wider restricted zone covering 2,090 sq km is bordered by the A140 to the west and the A47 to the north and almost to Felixstowe in the south.
Health experts have been quick to quell fears the virus found in Suffolk could be passed on to humans.Health experts have been quick to quell fears the virus found in Suffolk could be passed on to humans.
And agencies dealing with the Suffolk cull said they were confident it had been contained.
The avian flu virus has so far killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. So far, all those who contracted the virus had come into close contact with infected birds.The avian flu virus has so far killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. So far, all those who contracted the virus had come into close contact with infected birds.
Bird watchers stay vigilant
Health Protection Agency chief executive Professor Pat Troop said the virus "doesn't pass easily from bird to human" and the risk to the general population from the outbreak was "very, very low".
But Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the government was taking the possibility of a human flu pandemic in Britain "very seriously".
The Department of Health had taken the advice of scientists and stockpiled enough of the Tamiflu anti-viral drug to cover a quarter of the population, she told ITV1's The Sunday Edition.
But agencies dealing with the Suffolk cull said they were confident it had been contained.
The virus has so far been detected in only one shed out of 22 at the site, and 100 of the 2,000 staff who work at the Holton farm have been given the Tamiflu anti-viral drug.
DEFRA CONTINGENCY PLAN Full document [372KB] Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Reader. Download the reader hereDEFRA CONTINGENCY PLAN Full document [372KB] Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Reader. Download the reader here
The virus has so far been detected in only one shed out of 22 at the site, and 100 of the 2,000 staff who work at the Holton farm have been given the Tamiflu anti-viral drug.
A spokesman for the Bernard Matthews company said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and there was no risk to public health.A spokesman for the Bernard Matthews company said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and there was no risk to public health.
Jill Korwin, assistant head of Trading Standards for Suffolk, added: "At the moment we are very encouraged that it has been contained." United Nations co-ordinator for bird flu, David Nabarro, has said farmers will have to get used to the presence of the disease in the UK as it is "going to be in bird populations for several years to come".
But United Nations co-ordinator for bird flu, David Nabarro, has said farmers will have to get used to the presence of the disease in the UK as it is "going to be in bird populations for several years to come".
For more information call the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77For more information call the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77
If you have any pictures from the scene you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text your pictures to 07725 100 100.If you have any pictures from the scene you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text your pictures to 07725 100 100.
Scene of outbreak All poultry to be culledVisitors disinfected and restricted access 3km Protection Zone Poultry kept indoors and tested 10km Surveillance Zone No movement of poultry to or from area except for slaughterTrains carrying live poultry are prevented from stopping in the protection zoneBird fairs and markets bannedIncreased surveillance of wetland areasDomestic birds not to share water used by wild birdsFootpath restrictions likely only on free-range farmsPeople in towns not affected unless they keep poultry. Restriction Zone Isolation of poultry from wild birdsPoultry movements to be licensed Source: DefraScene of outbreak All poultry to be culledVisitors disinfected and restricted access 3km Protection Zone Poultry kept indoors and tested 10km Surveillance Zone No movement of poultry to or from area except for slaughterTrains carrying live poultry are prevented from stopping in the protection zoneBird fairs and markets bannedIncreased surveillance of wetland areasDomestic birds not to share water used by wild birdsFootpath restrictions likely only on free-range farmsPeople in towns not affected unless they keep poultry. Restriction Zone Isolation of poultry from wild birdsPoultry movements to be licensed Source: Defra
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