Britain hit by killer bird flu

[Saurgrist]

THE most virulent strain of killer avian flu was last night confirmed to have struck one of Britain’s biggest poultry producers.

Government officials disclosed that the infection, which killed 2,600 birds on a Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk, was the “highly pathogenic” Asian strain of bird flu.

It is one of the biggest outbreaks of H5N1 in Europe and is the first case of the virus in farmed poultry in this country.

The virus, known as H5N1, has killed more than 160 people since 2003, mainly in Asia. But health officials emphasised that there was “negligible” risk to the public.

They have set up a six-mile protection zone around the infected farm and processing factory. All 159,000 turkeys are to be slaughtered using argon gas.

Up to 60 workers at the farm who came into contact with the poultry are being offered antiviral drugs. Employees were yesterday being treated at an emergency clinic in Halesworth, about one mile from the farm.

Birds started dying on the site on Tuesday. The death toll continued to climb on Wednesday and by Thursday evening, the company had alerted the state veterinary service.

The plant employs 1,400 people and includes a slaughter house, a processing factory and turkey-rearing sheds. It produces branded Bernard Matthews turkeys for supermarkets and a wide range of turkey products.

Fred Landeg, the government’s deputy chief veterinary officer, said the most likely source of the outbreak was wild birds. Vaccinations for poultry were not being considered, he said.

There is no evidence infected birds have entered the food chain and consumers were assured that “poultry is safe.”

Link here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1323823.ece

All my friends in the UK: please be careful!

[Oyabun]

Wow how many turkeys were killed, poor chickens I could of ate them i love poultry and its just sad with all this bird flu stuff, i agree becareful members.

[Setarime]

The whole nation will start panicking now and refuse to eat or go near any bird

[Arwen]

Yeah prob Haggis and i dont blame them,there was a case not far from where we live now but i wont be going near any feathered friends not to mention bernard matthews food stuffs

[TGLucario]

geez....if the foood is cooked propley then no virus!

[Phil]

Originally Posted by Disco Racer King

geez....if the foood is cooked propley then no virus!

If you had one of the turkeys form bernard matthews and you cooked it and thought it was cooked properly you would still have caught it mate, its not as simple as making sure it is cooked, it has the H5N1 which will kill you, read below!

Although more than 200 people have contracted the H5N1 virus, experts point out that cross-infection to humans is still relatively rare, and usually occurs where people have been in close contact with infected birds.