[ad_1]
The government has tried to reassure consumers that the UK’s supply of Christmas turkeys is unaffected by an avian flu outbreak in North Yorkshire which will lead to the culling of over 10,000 birds.
All 10,500 birds at the Northallerton turkey fattening site will be slaughtered humanely to limit the spread of the disease, while a temporary control zone of 3km and 10km has been established to stop the spread of the disease.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that avian flu posed little public health risk and that this particular strain of the virus (H5N8) did not affect food safety.
It is estimated that 9 million turkeys are raised each year in the UK for the holiday market, but Defra said it does not anticipate any impact on supplies of turkeys or other birds over the Christmas period. An investigation is ongoing.
Public Health England (PHE) and the Food Standards Agency also assured consumers that avian flu posed a very low risk to people and that properly cooked poultry products, including eggs, were safe to eat.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss, who advises the government on animal welfare, said “immediate steps” were taken to stop the spread of the disease when it was detected on the farm Saturday.
He added: “Bird keepers should be alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately, and ensure they maintain good biosecurity on their premises. We are urgently looking for any evidence of the spread of the disease associated with this farm to control and eliminate it. “
Dr Gavin Dabrera, a consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE, said the World Health Organization has never confirmed a case of avian flu (H5N8) strain in humans.
He said: “As a precaution, the local health protection team will offer routine health advice to those who work on the farm. We will work with Defra to closely monitor the situation. “
About 13,500 birds were culled earlier this month following confirmation of an avian flu outbreak on a commercial farm in Helsby near Frodsham in Cheshire.
British and European farmers have been on high alert after highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks among wild and domestic birds in western Russia and Kazakhstan. Wild birds that migrate from continental Europe during the winter period can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds.
.
[ad_2]
Source link
