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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Promise to 'stamp out' bird flu | Promise to 'stamp out' bird flu |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The government is determined to "stamp out" the Suffolk bird flu outbreak and regain the UK's "disease free" status, the environment secretary says. | The government is determined to "stamp out" the Suffolk bird flu outbreak and regain the UK's "disease free" status, the environment secretary says. |
| David Miliband told MPs the response to the outbreak of the H5N1 strain at the Bernard Matthews site had been "rapid, well co-ordinated and appropriate". | David Miliband told MPs the response to the outbreak of the H5N1 strain at the Bernard Matthews site had been "rapid, well co-ordinated and appropriate". |
| He said the cull of the site's 159,000 turkeys would be completed in hours. | He said the cull of the site's 159,000 turkeys would be completed in hours. |
| Strict controls are in place around the site near Lowestoft, but officials say the risk to humans is "negligible". | Strict controls are in place around the site near Lowestoft, but officials say the risk to humans is "negligible". |
| Experts are trying to find the source of the outbreak of the disease, identified as the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus. | |
| Main poultry areas UK's bird-flu preparations Industry braced for backlash Bird watchers stay vigilant | |
| But the government says the priority is to contain and eradicate the outbreak at the farm in Holton. A 3km (1.9 miles) protection zone and a 10km (6.2 miles) surveillance zone are in place. | But the government says the priority is to contain and eradicate the outbreak at the farm in Holton. A 3km (1.9 miles) protection zone and a 10km (6.2 miles) surveillance zone are in place. |
| Giving a Commons statement earlier, Mr Miliband said he was satisfied with the government's reaction. | Giving a Commons statement earlier, Mr Miliband said he was satisfied with the government's reaction. |
| He told MPs that experience from other outbreaks in domestic poultry had shown rapid action to restrict movements, and cull the birds had eradicated the disease. | He told MPs that experience from other outbreaks in domestic poultry had shown rapid action to restrict movements, and cull the birds had eradicated the disease. |
| He also said Food Standards Agency had said there was no risk to people eating properly cooked poultry, including turkey and eggs. | He also said Food Standards Agency had said there was no risk to people eating properly cooked poultry, including turkey and eggs. |
| Mr Miliband said: "Our goals in this case are clear. To stamp out the disease, protect public health, to protect animal health and welfare, and to regain disease-free status for the UK." | Mr Miliband said: "Our goals in this case are clear. To stamp out the disease, protect public health, to protect animal health and welfare, and to regain disease-free status for the UK." |
| name="text"> class="bodl" href="#graphic">What each zone means | |
| He added that it was also a "very high priority" to discover the cause of the outbreak, and that while the most likely cause was a link with wild birds, all over possibilities were being considered. | He added that it was also a "very high priority" to discover the cause of the outbreak, and that while the most likely cause was a link with wild birds, all over possibilities were being considered. |
| Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said the government needed to stress to the public that eating poultry was "entirely safe". | Shadow environment secretary Peter Ainsworth said the government needed to stress to the public that eating poultry was "entirely safe". |
| Q&A: Bird flu Send us your comments | |
| "This is a blow to the poultry industry but it's vital that it doesn't become a crisis," he said. | "This is a blow to the poultry industry but it's vital that it doesn't become a crisis," he said. |
| Strict controls are in place around the site in Holton, where turkeys are being gassed, before their carcasses are transported to a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, for incineration. | Strict controls are in place around the site in Holton, where turkeys are being gassed, before their carcasses are transported to a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, for incineration. |
| Poultry owners in a wider restricted zone, covering 2,090 sq km (807 sq miles) around Holton, have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds. | Poultry owners in a wider restricted zone, covering 2,090 sq km (807 sq miles) around Holton, have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds. |
| But BBC reporters discovered some chickens left outside just a mile from the farm. | But BBC reporters discovered some chickens left outside just a mile from the farm. |
| Rural Affairs Minister Ben Bradshaw told the BBC anyone breaching current instructions should be reported to the police, Defra or trading standards. | Rural Affairs Minister Ben Bradshaw told the BBC anyone breaching current instructions should be reported to the police, Defra or trading standards. |
| He added that officials would be scouring the area to make sure biosecurity was being adhered to. | He added that officials would be scouring the area to make sure biosecurity was being adhered to. |
| The avian flu virus has so far killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. 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. All those who contracted the virus had come into close contact with infected birds. |
| The H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, does not pose a large-scale threat to humans, as it cannot pass easily from one person to another. | The H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, does not pose a large-scale threat to humans, as it cannot pass easily from one person to another. |
| Experts, however, fear the virus could mutate at some point in the future, and in its new form trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk. | Experts, however, fear the virus could mutate at some point in the future, and in its new form trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk. |
| 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: Defra | 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: Defra |
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