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Bird flu (H5N1) in Norfolk Confirmed, November 12 +
Latest blow in year of outbreaks
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The latest outbreak of bird flu could not have come at a worse time for British poultry farmers.
The lucrative Christmas period is fast approaching and the farmers were hoping for a much needed financial boost from the festive market.
The discovery of the H5 strain of the virus on a Suffolk farm rounds off a bleak year that has seen farms hit by a series of outbreaks.
The industry over the past 10 months has had to deal with the impacts of foot-and-mouth and bluetongue diseases, as well as an earlier case of bird flu.
It seemed there was a light at the end of the tunnel last week when it was announced that EU export restrictions on meat products were to be relaxed for the first time since August's outbreak of foot-and-mouth. Huge blow
National Farmers' Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall has described the latest outbreak as a huge blow for the beleaguered sector.
He said the key thing now was to stop the virus spreading from the infected farm.
A 3km (1.9-mile) protection zone and 10km (6.2-mile) surveillance zone around the infected farm were set up immediately after the H5 strain was identified on Monday.
Scientists hope the early identification of bird flu and tight controls on the movement of poultry and their waste will stop the virus spreading.
Lessons learned from February's H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm, also in Suffolk, highlights how important bio-security measures are.
Farmers within the 3km protection area have been told to bring their flocks indoors and check for any signs of the virus.
Symptoms include swelling of the head, a blue discolouration of the neck and throat, loss of appetite and breathing problems. Other signs include inactivity and a drop in egg production.
Senior vets have urged all poultry farmers, not just those in the surrounding area, to be extra vigilant. Finding the source
A lot of people will be asking how did this outbreak happen? In short, it is too early to say with any certainty.
Over the coming days, analysis of the virus should be able to identify its origins and offer an insight into how the farm's bio-security measures were breached.
February's H5N1 outbreak was quickly linked to viruses that had originated in Hungary. A subsequent inquiry concluded that an infected bird was transported from Hungary to East Anglia.
Another possible source for the latest outbreak is the wild bird population, which is known to carry the virus.
The most common mode of transmission is faecal-to-oral transmission. Infected birds can carry the virus in their intestines and shed it in saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.
However, some scientists challenge the "wild bird" theory. They say it offers no explanation as to why certain countries on flight paths of birds from Asia remain flu-free, whilst their neighbours suffer repeated infections.
While the H5N1 strain is deadly for birds, scientists say the risk to the public is minuscule.
Defra officials say it is very rare for the disease to pass to humans, and it can only be contracted by someone coming into very close contact with an infected bird.
The Food Standards Agency advises that properly cooked meat and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
However, farmers are aware that these reassurances may not be enough to convince the public.
Market analysis following the February outbreak showed that turkey sales in the UK fell by a third.
For many farmers, it looks as if 2007 is shaping up to be an annus horribilis.
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The slaughter, cutting, further processing and value added production of standard and organic Duck, Turkey, Geese, the processing and packing of Guinea Fowl, Quail, and small game, both fresh and frozen at the Redgrave factory
Thanks to Chickchick[/quote]
Video includes report at entrance to the farm. I believe the press knows exactly which farm is taped up (report mentions wild birds for source of infection on farm which has turkeys, geese, and ducks being raised for the Chistmas holiday)
<CENTER>Bird flu strikes England again</CENTER> <TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=120 align=right bgColor=white border=1><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>13 November 2007 -- An outbreak of bird flu has been detected on a poultry farm in eastern England, British officials said yesterday.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said tests had revealed avian influenza in turkeys on the premises near Diss on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk.
The agency said all birds on the infected premises will be culled, including about 5000 turkey, 500 geese and over 1000 ducks.
Defra said the initial tests revealed the H5 strain of the virus. Defra is still waiting for further results which would show whether this outbreak involved the far more contagious H5N1 strain. Results are expected to take a further two days.
While various bird flu strains can be transmitted to humans who are in close contact with infected birds, the H5N1 is of particular concern because health officials fear that it could mutate and be spread from human to human.
At present a two-mile protection zone and a six-mile surveillance zone has been set up around the infected premises.
Defra was informed of the outbreak on Sunday and inspectors visited the farm that day to carry out tests. Restrictions were placed on the farm late the same day.
A Defra spokesman has said it is notifying all poultry keepers in Britain and that the European Commission has also been informed.
H5N1 is highly pathogenic and extremely contagious among birds, both by air and contact with feces. According to World Health Organization figures, 206 people have died worldwide from the H5N1 strain since 2003.
The Health Protection Agency said where appropriate it would provide antiviral drugs and the flu vaccine to anyone who had been in close contact with the infected poultry.
There are no clues at this stage as how the disease arrived in this country, although migrating birds are clearly a possibility. The risk of disease is considered higher at this time of year and the affected birds were free range.
The outbreak could not have come at a worse time for turkey producers, in particular, who are now gearing up for Christmas.
Meanwhile, NFU president Peter Kendall has said the outbreak was 'another huge blow to the farming industry,' on top of the effects of bluetongue and foot-and-mouth.
"We will be working closely with Defra to do all we can to contain and eradicate this disease as quickly as possible.
"We fully support the measures Defra has put in place in the protection and surveillance zones and we will be working with them to make sure producers within the zones understand the implications of the restrictions.
He stressed that 'avian influenza is a disease of birds' and sought to reassure the public that there was no risk to them from consuming poultry products. "There is no reason for public concern and the Food Standards Agency says there are no risks from eating poultry meat and eggs provided they are cooked properly as, of course, all food should be," Mr Kendall said
Date: 12 November 2007Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
Avian Influenza Outbreak: additional restrictions
Further restrictions are being put in place in a wider area surrounding the infected premises near Diss as a precautionary measure.
In consultation with ornithologists and other experts, a wider Restricted Zone has been established in addition to the controls put in place earlier today; i.e. the 3 km Protection Zone and 10 km Surveillance Zone around the Infected Premises. The new Restricted Zone covers much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk.
This is still an early stage in the outbreak. The new Restricted Zone requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds. Movements within this zone can take place, but movements are not permitted out of the new zone at present. We expect to make available general licences for low risk movements out of the zone shortly.
No movements of poultry are permitted at present in the 3km and 10km zones around the Infected Premises.
These measures are a precaution while the results of further laboratory tests and investigations into the outbreak are awaited.
In addition, the national general licence permitting bird gatherings in England has been revoked, and bird shows and pigeon racing will not be permitted for the time being.
As further information becomes available, and in consultation with ornithological and other experts, the restrictions in place may be adjusted.
H5 Confirmed in Norfolk England
Recombinomics Commentary
November 12, 2007
Thousands of turkeys are due to be slaughtered after an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in Diss, Norfolk.
Some 5,000 birds are expected to be culled after the H5 strain of the virus was discovered at the premises.
The above comments suggest that H5N1 has re-emerged in England. Although H5N1 has not been confirmed in the above report, the size of the cull and the establishment of an exclusion zone suggest the H5 will be the Qinghai (clade 2.2) strain of H5N1. Media reports inodcate the farm has turkeys, ducks, and geese, further establishing a link with wild birds.
Over the summer H5N1 was widely reported in wild birds in Germany, and to a lesser extent in adjacent regions in France and the Czech Republic.
The data suggested H5N1 had become endemic in Europe, and new outbreaks wold be reported in the fall.
More detail on the H5 confirmed in England would be useful.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Acute H5 in Norfolk England
Recombinomics Commentary
November 12, 2007
The agency said all birds on the infected premises will be culled, including approximately 5,000 turkey, 500 geese and over 1,000 ducks.
"It does however appear to be early disease from the acute phase but how long the disease has been present on the premises we will need to establish as part of the epidemiological investigation."
The above comments provide further support for a recent infection of Norfolk poultry by Qinghai H5N1 from wild birds. Since the outbreak is described as ?acute? it is likely that the number of fatal infections is high, and the infectious agent is highly pathogenic H5, which is almost certainly Qinghai (clade 2.2) H5N1.
The waterfowl at the farm also provides a link to migratory birds, which transport and transmit H5N1. All recent H5N1 outbreaks west of China have been the Qinghai strain of H5N1, including the recent massive outbreaks in Germany. The dead and dying birds were almost exclusively wild birds infected with a Qinghai sub-clade that had been previously reported in massive outbreaks in Tyva and Mongolia, and most recently in Krasnodar.
At this time of the year, Migration of wild birds increases the likelihood of spread and new outbreaks. Detection of Qinghai H5N1 in lie wild birds has been a challenge. Most of the H5N1 reports in Europe have involved wild birds, but H5 antibodies were recently detected in birds from farms in Germany, further signaling the presence of H5N1 in wild birds in the region.
It is likely that the H5 in England is H5N1 and it is widespread in Europe. More reports of H5N1 outbreaks are expected.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
H5 Norfolk Restriction Expanded to Suffolk England Recombinomics Commentary
November 12, 2007
In consultation with ornithologists and other experts, a wider Restricted Zone has been established in addition to the controls put in place earlier today; i.e. the 3 km Protection Zone and 10 km Surveillance Zone around the Infected Premises. The new Restricted Zone covers much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk.
The above announcement by DEFRA further supports media reports suggesting that the H5 infection in domestic poultry in Norfolk, England is Qinghai H5N1 imported via migratory birds. Today?s media reports included a description of symptoms which matched those of the Qinghai strain of H5N1. Moreover, the affected population was free range turkeys, ducks, and geese.
Although media reports indicated the initial positives were turkeys, it is likely that the turkeys were acutely affected because H5N1 frequently produces mild or no symptoms in waterfowl.
The zone was expanded after consultation with ornithologists, who would help define migration patterns of wild birds.
After the widespread outbreaks in Germany and neighboring countries over the summer, more detection of H5N1 in the fall was expected because migratory birds can mix with resident wild and domestic birds to spread the H5N1 further. Moreover, detection of H5N1 antibodies in domestic ducks provided additional evidence for viral interactions between wild and domestic birds.
The description of the sequences from H5N1 birds in Germany this summer were similar to the recent sequence from Krasnodar, which was the Qinghai strain of H5N1 and was most closely related to H5N1 detected in the massive Tyva/Mongolia outbreak in the spring of 2006.
The recent Krasnodar sequence has been publish, and like other H5N1 sequences in Russia, Egypt, and Ghana, the sequence had acquired NA G743A, suggesting a common source was interaction with local versions of Qinghai H5N1 resulting in the transmission of this marker.
The early detection of H5N1 in England this year suggests addition outbreaks will be reported in Europe in the near future.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Monday, November 12, 2007
Thousands of turkeys look set to be slaughtered
An urgent search to find the source of the latest bird flu outbreak has begun, with officials admitting they had no idea where it came from.
The investigation was launched by farm ministry Defra as soon as test results came back yesterday which confirmed the H5 strain of the virus in turkeys on a Norfolk farm.
Defra warned against jumping to the conclusion that the disease spread from wild birds, as happened last time.
Some 6,500 birds including turkeys, ducks and geese were being culled at the freerange Redgrave Park Farm, owned by Gressingham Foods, which supplies duck to Sainsbury's and Budgens.
It leaves Britain's beleaguered farming industry in the grip of another crisis.
A 3km protection zone has been set up around the premises in Diss; a 10km surveillance zone is also in place.
It places restrictions on movements of poultry and all birds must be housed and isolated from wild birds, farm ministry officials said.
Tests were being carried out to discover whether the H5 virus was the most dangerous H5N1 strain. H5N1 avian flu has been most devastating in Asia, where it has spread to humans and killed at least 200 people since 2003.
The RSPB's Andre Farrar said autumn migration was mostly over and no wild birds had been found with avian flu in Europe since September.
No wild birds on Royal Society for the Protection of Birds sites have had the infection in three years.
Meanwhile, farmers said the outbreak could not have come at a worse time.
The National Farmers' Union added: 'We've had foot and mouth, bluetongue and this is the last thing we want. But there is a plan in place.'
Experts played down food safety fears.
John McConnell, editor of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, said: 'People will worry and if it spreads to more than one farm it could have an impact on turkey sales. But the risk to human health is practically zero.'
And deputy chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said poultry and eggs were safe to eat – if they were 'properly cooked'.
Nine months ago, 160,000 birds were slaughtered after the H5N1 strain was found at a Bernard Matthews farm in Norwich.
The 'most likely source' was imported turkey meat from Hungary.
Thousands of turkeys slaughtered on farm in Norfolk as bird flu strikes again
By DAVID DERBYSHIRE - More by this author » Last updated at 22:53pm on 12th November 2007 Comments Victim: The affected farm in Norfolk is home to 5,000 turkeys
Thousands of turkeys, geese and ducks were being slaughtered last night after bird flu was found at a farm in Norfolk.
Emergency protection zones were immediately set up around the site of the outbreak.
If the disease spreads it is feared it could devastate the industry in the run-up to Christmas.
Tests confirmed yesterday that a turkey at the farm in Redgrave near Diss had died from the H5 strain of bird flu.
Further tests overnight are expected to reveal whether it had the especially dangerous H5N1 subtype which has killed millions of birds worldwide.
The farm is operated by Gressingham Foods, whose operations director Geoffrey Buchanan said: "We believe the outbreak has been contained and that the measures are in place to allow us to continue to serve our customers.
"Turkey meat continues to be safe to eat."
He said no Gressingham ducks - favoured by chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Delia Smith and Gary Rhodes - were reared at the site.
Neighbouring farmers last night spoke of their fears that the disease could spread.
Eddie Heggarty, who owns a poultry business in Pulham Market, said: "I've had to move all my birds indoors. We have only 60 for Christmas, but obviously it's a worry."
The disease has struck a rearing unit where 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese are being prepared for Christmas.
Movement of live birds is restricted within a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone.
There are fears that the outbreak could exacerbate an expected shortage of turkeys for Christmas. Last week, the industry warned that soaring feed costs could add £5 to the shop price of a typical bird.
Dr Fred Landeg, the deputy chief vet, stressed that there was no risk to humans from eating poultry meat and eggs as long as they were cooked properly.
He added: "It is very difficult to transmit avian influenza from birds to human beings. There has to be fairly close contact with the birds and with their faeces.
"We will be looking at the movements on to the premises and off the premises of birds and movements of people, vehicles and things, to see whether there is another origin somewhere in the country or whether the disease could have spread."
The disease was discovered on Sunday by a vet who noticed that there had been a growing number of turkey deaths in one of the five sheds on the Norfolk farm.
The birds were free range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and were at greater risk of exposure to the wildfowl that visit an ornamental lake next door.
Officials at Defra, the food and farming department, think this is the most likely source of the disease which is spread through saliva and droppings.
They said the farm was not linked to the Bernard Matthews site at the centre of February's avian influenza outbreak in Suffolk.
A report into that outbreak found that imported turkey meat from Hungary, and not wild birds, was the most likely source.
Andre Farrar, of the RSPB, said it was premature to assume that the disease had spread to poultry from wild birds this time.
"Last time people went on a mad whirl of speculation on how wild birds had moved the virus and it turned out not to be the case," he said.
The farm was formerly the estate of the stately home, Redgrave Park, and is now owned by Guy and Elizabeth Topham who rent out the land.
The European Union Commission has been kept informed about the situation, while all businesses on the British poultry register will be notified.
The revelation that bird flu is back is a devastating setback for farmers.
This year they have already faced outbreaks of bird flu, foot and mouth disease and bluetongue.
Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, said: "We will be working closely with Defra to do all we can to contain and eradicate this disease as quickly as possible.
"Obviously this is another huge blow to the farming industry, which is still dealing with the effects of bluetongue and foot and mouth."
There are more than a dozen strains of bird flu in the wild. The most virulent are H5 and H7, while the H5N1 subtype is the deadliest.
Many scientists believe that H5N1 could mutate into a new, deadly form of human flu.
However, that is most likely to happen in Asia where people live in close contact with birds. The disease has killed 300 humans so far.
The strain of bird flu found in turkeys on a farm in East Anglia is the deadly H5N1 type that is dangerous to humans, acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said today
Free-range farms lock up their birds as vets confirm HN51 in turkeys
<!-- END: Module - Main Heading --><!--CMA user Call Diffrenet Variation Of Image --><!-- BEGIN: Module - M24 Article Headline with no image (a) --><!-- getting the section url from article. This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic --><!-- Print Author name associated with the article --><!-- Print Author name from By Line associated with the article -->Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor
<!-- END: Module - M24 Article Headline with no image --><!-- Article Copy module --><!-- BEGIN: Module - Main Article --><!-- Check the Article Type and display accordingly--><!-- Print Author image associated with the Author--><!-- Print the body of the article--><!-- Pagination --><!--Display article with page breaks -->Turkeys, ducks and geese were being culled in East Anglia last night after an outbreak of avian flu just as the poultry industry gears up for the Christmas rush.
The cull of more than 6,000 birds came after turkeys tested positive for the contagious H5 strain of the virus on a free-range farm on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk, near Diss. Tests by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency at Redgrave Poultry, part of Gressingham Foods, on the Suffolk side of Diss, yesterday confirmed that the birds were suffering the H5 strain of avian flu.
Geoff Buchanan, of the company, said that about 60 turkeys in a flock of 1,000 had tested positive. The alarm had been raised on Sunday after a rise in death rates.
The premises are now out of bounds and police are on guard at the gates.
<!-- BEGIN: POLL --><!-- END : POLL --><!-- BEGIN: DEBATE--><!-- END: DEBATE-->
<!-- END: Module - M63 - Article Related Attachements --><!-- Call Wide Article Attachment Module --><!--TEMPLATE:call file="wideArticleAttachment.jsp" /-->Poultry farmers will learn today whether the strain is the deadly virus or one less virulent.
Last night Fred Landeg, the acting Chief Veterinary Officer instituted greater surveillance throughout Suffolk and parts of Norfolk and ordered farmers to lock up their birds, a measure which confines hundreds of thousands of free-range birds to their sheds.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also banned all pigeon racing and also halted all bird shows throughout England.
Veterinary experts believe wild birds are the most likely cause of the disease — especially as a consignment of birds has not been brought to the farm for four weeks, and wild birds gather at a lake near the farm.
Nevertheless, movements on and off the farm, vehicles and visitors are being checked to ensure there is no other route for the disease which could threaten other farms.
Industry sources suggested there was no connection with the outbreak in February at the Bernard Matthews farm at Holton in Suffolk. The company has no premises within the affected zone.
But there is widespread anxiety in the East of England about the possible spread of the virus. Many farmers have already locked their birds indoors as a precautionary measure until the source of the outbreak is identified.
Poultry production in the area is worth £1 billion a year and supports 40,000 jobs, with the Christmas season mas the main market. Millions of birds are reared in the region but most are housed indoors. The concern however is over free-range birds reared for meat and to produce eggs.
There are four other registered poultry-keepers within the 1.9 mile protection zone.
Mark Avery, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said it was possible that wild birds were a factor in this case. “We don’t know of any recent outbreak of the deadly avian flu on the Continent but it is feasible wild birds brought it. It is now just after the mass migration period but there was a cold weather snap in eastern Europe two weeks ago and though no big wild bird movements were noticed it is possible an infected bird arrived here. But we need to know more about the epidemiology and the tracings before jumping to conclusions.”
Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers’ Union, said: “Obviously this is another huge blow to the farming industry, which is still dealing with the effects of bluetongue and foot and mouth. We will do all we can to control and eradicate this disease as quickly as possible.”
Charles Bourns, chairman of the organisation’s poultry board, said the cull should have no impact on shoppers and the numbers culled were tiny in the context of the many millions of turkeys consumed at Christmas.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>13 November 2007 -- An outbreak of bird flu has been detected on a poultry farm in eastern England, British officials said yesterday. 
Victim: The affected farm in Norfolk is home to 5,000 turkeys
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