Bird flu is found in turkeys at a farm in Lincolnshire

December 20, 2016

More than 5,000 caged animals are known to have been affected by the virus
It is believed most of the birds have already died but the rest will be culled
The risk to the public is low so long as people thoroughly cook their poultry
It is not expected to have any impact on the supplies of turkeys over Christmas

Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published:
12:35 EST, 16 December 2016

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Updated:
16:53 EST, 16 December 2016

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Some 5,000 turkeys will die after the bird flu sweeping the continent was found on a UK farm.

The H5N8 strain had reached 14 European countries – prompting the Government to order that poultry to be kept indoors in a bid to prevent an outbreak.

But the highly infectious disease has now been found at a farm in Louth, Lincolnshire, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed yesterday.

An outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed at a farm in Lincolnshire. More than 5,000 birds are known to have been affected and most have already died (stock)

Most of the 5,000-plus birds at the farm in Louth have died. The rest of them will be humanely culled, officials said.

While risk to humans is low, the World Health Organisation advises that human infection with the H5N8 avian flu virus ‘cannot be excluded’.

A 3km (1.86 miles) protection zone and a 10km (6.21 miles) surveillance zone have been put in place around the infected farm to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

Defra says it is investigating the cause of the outbreak.

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The disease has been reported in countries such as France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Finland.

In Holland, 190,000 ducks have been culled in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease.

‘It is not thought that the emergence of bird flu in Britain will have any impact on the supplies of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.

Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: ‘Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said that bird flu does not pose a food-safety risk for UK consumers.

Experts say the risk to the public is very low and so long as poultry is thoroughly cooked there is no risk of contracting the virus (stock)

WHAT IS BIRD FLU?

Also known as avian influenza, bird flu is an infectious disease of birds caused by a variant of the standard influenza A virus.

Bird flu is unique in that it can be transmitted directly from birds to humans.

There are 15 different strains of the virus. It is the H5N1 strain which is infecting humans and causing high death rates.

Humans can catch bird flu directly through close contact with live infected birds and those who work with infected chickens are most at risk.

‘We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this strain to control and eliminate it.’

A Public Health England spokesman said: ‘Avian flu (often called bird flu) is primarily a disease of birds.

‘There have never been any recorded cases of H5N8 in humans and the risk to public health is considered very low.

‘We continue to work closely with Defra throughout this investigation. Despite the risk being very low, we will offer health advice to those people who may have been exposed on the farm as a precaution.’

The exact location of the affected farm has not been released.

The order to keep birds inside, which was put in place on December 6, remains in place.