UK Confirms First Bird Flu Case At Farm
Britain confirmed its first outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in a domestic flock on Saturday, saying the virus has been detected on a farm owned by Europe's largest turkey producer where 2,500 turkeys died.
As a precaution all 159,000 turkeys will be slaughtered on the farm in Holton in Suffolk, about 130 miles northeast of London, said Britain's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg. He said he expects the outbreak to be contained.
Television news footage showed piles of slaughtered birds being funneled into an open tractor trailer before being taken away for incineration.
Landeg said the virus was detected in only one of 22 turkey sheds on the farm, which is owned by Bernard Matthews PLC.
Workers have been offered antiviral drugs and are wearing protective clothing, said Health Protection Agency virologist Maria Zambon. She added that the virus does not transmit easily to humans and has not been found to be transmitted through food.
Experts stressed the situation did not pose a public health threat.
This is the first instance of H5N1 in Britain since a wild swan in Scotland was found to have the virus in March. Turkeys and chickens are more susceptible to H5N1 than wild birds, who can carry the disease over long distances without showing symptoms.
"This virus is going to be in bird populations for years to come and the way in which we'll deal with it is by implementing the well-rehearsed plan to stamp it out at source," Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. influenza coordinator, told British Broadcasting Corp. television.
Bird flu has killed or prompted the culling of millions of birds worldwide since late 2003 when it first began ravaging Asian poultry stocks. It has killed at least 164 people worldwide, but remains difficult for humans to catch. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.
Also, on Saturday, Japanese authorities confirmed that nation's fourth outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus at a poultry farm in the country's south.
About two dozen chickens were found dead at the farm in Shintomi, southwestern Miyazaki prefecture, last month. The birds had been infected with the H5N1 strain deadly to humans, the Agricultural Ministry said Saturday.
The case marks Japan's fourth H5N1 outbreak incident this year and the third to hit poultry farms in Miyazaki, Japan's largest chicken-producing region.
Authorities have already culled thousands of birds to try to stop the spread of the virus. Officials have begun slaughtering the approximately 93,000 chickens at the Shintomi farm and are sterilizing the site, according to the ministry.
Japan has confirmed only one human H5N1 infection, and no human deaths.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. As a precaution all 159,000 turkeys will be slaughtered on the farm in Holton in Suffolk, about 130 miles northeast of London, said Britain's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Fred Landeg. He said he expects the outbreak to be contained.
Television news footage showed piles of slaughtered birds being funneled into an open tractor trailer before being taken away for incineration.
Landeg said the virus was detected in only one of 22 turkey sheds on the farm, which is owned by Bernard Matthews PLC.
Workers have been offered antiviral drugs and are wearing protective clothing, said Health Protection Agency virologist Maria Zambon. She added that the virus does not transmit easily to humans and has not been found to be transmitted through food.
Experts stressed the situation did not pose a public health threat.
This is the first instance of H5N1 in Britain since a wild swan in Scotland was found to have the virus in March. Turkeys and chickens are more susceptible to H5N1 than wild birds, who can carry the disease over long distances without showing symptoms.
"This virus is going to be in bird populations for years to come and the way in which we'll deal with it is by implementing the well-rehearsed plan to stamp it out at source," Dr. David Nabarro, the U.N. influenza coordinator, told British Broadcasting Corp. television.
Bird flu has killed or prompted the culling of millions of birds worldwide since late 2003 when it first began ravaging Asian poultry stocks. It has killed at least 164 people worldwide, but remains difficult for humans to catch. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a global pandemic. So far, most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds.
Also, on Saturday, Japanese authorities confirmed that nation's fourth outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus at a poultry farm in the country's south.
About two dozen chickens were found dead at the farm in Shintomi, southwestern Miyazaki prefecture, last month. The birds had been infected with the H5N1 strain deadly to humans, the Agricultural Ministry said Saturday.
The case marks Japan's fourth H5N1 outbreak incident this year and the third to hit poultry farms in Miyazaki, Japan's largest chicken-producing region.
Authorities have already culled thousands of birds to try to stop the spread of the virus. Officials have begun slaughtering the approximately 93,000 chickens at the Shintomi farm and are sterilizing the site, according to the ministry.
Japan has confirmed only one human H5N1 infection, and no human deaths.
Popular on CBSNews.com
- Man dead in "truly shocking" London attack 209 Comments
- Who were the 4 U.S. citizens killed in drone strikes?
- Graphic video: Man dead in "truly shocking" London attack Play Video
- Mexican volcano on verge of eruption 15 Photos
- People cling to car in "sidewalk skiing" stunt Play Video
- Volcano's rumbles may signal coming to life Play Video
- Man, 80, becomes oldest to climb to top of Mount Everest
- Is Pope Francis an exorcist?
Now instead of the global ice age coming up we got "Global warming" same old ***... like I said they can't even come up with new charades for us to play..
What's that old saying one president once made... there is nothing to fear but fear itself... don't be a cowardly fool. I'm going to go have a chicken sandwich...
Among other critics are Arthur M. Silverstein, whose book, "Pure Politics and Impure Science," suggests President Gerald Ford's desire to win the office on his own, as well as the influence of America's big drug manufacturers, figured into the decision to immunize all 220 million Americans.
Still, even the partisan who first branded Ford's program a fiasco, says now that it happened because America's public health establishment identified what easily could have been a new plague and mobilized to beat it amazingly well.
To understand the fear of the time you have to know something about the plague American soldiers seemed to bring home with them after fighting in Europe during World War I.
The Great Plague, as it came to be called, rivaled the horrid Black Death of medieval times in its ability to strike suddenly and take lives swiftly. In addition to the half million in America, it killed 20 million people around the world.
Did you know 36,000 americans die every year on average from the everyday flu bugs that comes around every year?
Just thought I'd help you put things in perspective since the media and government won't.
----------------------------------
It is clearly not if or when Bird Flu "hits" the U.S. Mainland. The projection now is what month.
A sleeping U.S. has had seemingly too much time to prepare. Hopefully the efforts of the government will not resemble Cold War idiocy that led to thousands of bombshelters sprinkeled through out the mainland.
At the very least, there should be a box of surgical gloves in every home in the nation along with a supply of appropriate masks & waterless handwashing solution. Tese items will be the bare minimum.
How much longer will YOU put it off?
Posted by flolake at 04:13 PM : Feb 04, 2007
+ report this comment
A sleeping U.S. has had seemingly too much time to prepare. Hopefully the efforts of the government will not resemble Cold War idiocy that led to thousands of bombshelters sprinkeled through out the mainland.
At the very least, there should be a box of surgical gloves in every home in the nation along with a supply of appropriate masks & waterless handwashing solution. Tese items will be the bare minimum.
How much longer will YOU put it off?
He will be able to declare martial law and put all the scientists, environmentalists, and all people who believe in the Constitution into FEMA sanctioned CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
Guantanamo is just a practice run for his coming Moderate and Liberal round up!
Posted by RandalDS
LOL... I give a duck!
I think I'm coming down with the 'bird flu', I"m feeling this irrestible urge to *** on a neocon's car.
Who gives a cluck?
Looks like 'humancitizen' took a big toke off of a crack pipe, and decided to come out of the closet!
Good for him/her!