In The Days

• Source: BBC
• News Date: 11/13/07

All the birds at the farm are being culled as a precaution

The type of bird flu found in turkeys on a Suffolk farm is the virulent H5N1 strain, according to government vets.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
—Matthew 24:7

The virus was discovered on Sunday at Redgrave Park Farm near Diss, where all 6,500 birds, most of them turkeys, are being slaughtered.

A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been set up and the farm is co-operating with vets.

Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg made the announcement at a press conference in London.

All birds at the affected premises – including approximately 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese – will be slaughtered.

Map of surveillance zone

Police officers are at the entrance to the farm, and vehicles are being sprayed with a jet hose.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said some 10% of birds in one shed at the farm had died during one night.

Possible sources

Mr Landeg said there was “still some uncertainty” over the situation.

“We are at a very early stage of the investigation,” he added.

“The initial sequence data suggests that it’s closely related to outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Germany, which does suggest a possible wild bird source.

“However, at this stage we are looking with an open mind as to the origin and all potential sources of the origin will be investigated.”

Mr Landeg also said there was a lake at the affected site with a number of wild fowl on it.

Earlier, Mr Landeg said the risk of bird flu spreading was increased during the autumn months because of wild bird migration.

The affected birds were free-range – meaning they had access to the outdoors and may have been of greater risk of catching the disease.

Cull preparations

The BBC’s Andrew Sinclair, who is at the farm, said large trucks and gas canisters had been moved on to the premises earlier in preparation for the cull.

It is expected that all the birds will be gassed and then put in sealed containers.

Officials said further local surveillance work would happen before deciding on any culls on neighbouring farms.

Heather Peck, Defra’s regional operations manager for animal health, said: “The top priority is to get controls in place, to inform people of the controls in place and that’s largely done electronically these days.

“The immediate priority for us here is both to cull the affected birds on the infected premises and to establish any possible contact or any potential traces of movement between those premises, or related premises or premises in the immediate vicinity.”