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More than 10,000 turkeys are to be killed following an outbreak of bird flu.
The H5N8 strain of the virus was found at a farm in North Yorkshire, England. Reports say there has never been a confirmed case of this particular type of avian flu in humans.
The ‘turkey fattening site’ will also see a 3km and 10km temporary control zone be put in place to stop the disease from spreading.
‘Remain alert’
Christine Middlemiss chief veterinary officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
According to the BBC, she said: “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.”
Bird Flu Risk
Earlier this month, the government increased the risk of bird flu hitting the U.K from low to medium.
Since then, several outbreaks of the virus have been reported.
On November 2, a low-pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu was confirmed at Chookies Farm and Feed Store in Kent.
As a result, all 480 birds (including swans, pigeons, chickens and ducks) were culled.
On November 3, an unrelated outbreak, caused by H5N8, was reported at a farm which rears broiler breeder chickens in Cheshire.
Testing has confirmed it is the highly pathogenic strain circulating in Europe. H5N8 can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds and therefore all 13,500 birds at this farm will be culled.
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