Bird flu: Thousands of turkeys to be culled after outbreak at North Yorkshire farm
More than 10,000 turkeys are to be culled at a farm in North Yorkshire after an outbreak of bird flu.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said avian influenza poses little risk to public health and the H5N8 strain of the virus involved does not affect food safety.
All 10,500 birds at the turkey fattening site in Northallerton will now be culled and an exclusion zone has been put in place around the infected site to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
A detailed investigation is in under way to try and pinpoint the most likely source of the outbreak.
It is not expected to have an impact on the supply of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "Avian flu has been confirmed at a commercial turkey fattening farm near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Immediate steps have been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading and all the remaining turkeys at the farm will be culled.
"Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency advises that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.
"Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.
"We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it."
Dr Gavin Dabrera, consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE, said: "To date the World Health Organisation has never confirmed any cases of H5N8 in humans and the risk to the public is considered very low."
A Food Standards Agency spokesman said bird flu poses a very low food safety risk, and added: "Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remain safe to eat."
Wild birds migrating from mainland Europe during winter can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds.
A spate of swan deaths across the UK are reportedly being investigated amid concerns they could be connected to a wave of avian flu from Europe.
Small outbreaks of H5N8, which has been in evidence among wild bird populations in Europe, have also recently been confirmed in geese and swans in Gloucestershire, Devon and Dorset.
Cases have also been discovered at poultry farms in Herefordshire and Cheshire, and the H5N2 strain of the virus was confirmed in Kent earlier this month.
People who keep birds have been advised of simple measures they can take to guard against the threat of avian flu, including keeping the area where birds live clean and tidy, regularly cleansing and disinfecting any hard surfaces, and protecting feed and water from wild birds.
