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UK fights
bird flu with additional poultry cull
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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's farm ministry, battling to fight the spread of deadly H5N1 bird flu, said on Wednesday it would cull poultry at four mnore sites as a precaution. "This is a precautionary measure taken to prevent any potential spread of the disease," Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg said, adding there were no confirmed cases at the four premises.
The ministry began on Tuesday to cull thousands of birds at a turkey farm on the Norfolk/Suffolk border in eastern England where the virus has been confirmed. |
The virulent H5N1 strain has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003 and millions of birds either have died from it or been killed to prevent its spread. Landeg said the four premises have been identified as "dangerous contacts." He did not provide further details but industry sources have said employees at the infected farm are believed to have worked at other premises. Britain's farm ministry has imposed a 3-km protection zone, 10-km surveillance zone and a wider restricted zone. In these areas, poultry must be isolated from wild birds and there are movement restrictions. Landeg said all 4 premises are within the restricted zone. Britain had an outbreak of the H5N1 virus strain in February at a turkey farm in Suffolk, eastern England. |
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