By DPA
London : Britain was Tuesday grappling with a fresh outbreak of bird flu after the authorities confirmed that the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus was found in turkeys on a farm where up to 6,000 birds are being culled as a precaution.
Acting government veterinary officer Fred Landeg said tests had shown that the “highly pathogenic” H5N1 type found in the birds was “closely related” to outbreaks this summer in the Czech Republic and in Germany.
“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,” Landeg said.
“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.”
Landeg said there was a lake at the site with a number of wild fowl on it.
Some 5,000 turkeys, more than 1,000 ducks and 500 geese would be culled on the rearing unit site in Redgrave, near Diss, in the south-eastern county of Suffolk.
The outbreak, the second this year, threatens financial ruin for Britain’s poultry farmers relying on the sale of turkeys for Christmas.
A 3-km protection zone and a 10-km surveillance zone had been set up around the farm, 160 km northeast of London.
In February, an outbreak of the H5N1 strain at a nearby turkey farm forced the culling of 160,000 birds.
Apart from Britain, the H5N1 virus has this year been found in the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, and Germany.
Worldwide, the virus has killed 206 people since 2003, most of them in Asia, and millions of birds have either died from it or been killed to prevent its spread, according to the World Health Organization.