Bird Flu Hits Europe's Largest Turkey Producer
About 2,500 turkeys died of avian influenza in Britain.
Compiled by staff
Published: Feb 5, 2007
About 2,500 turkeys died of avian influenza and officials culled thousands more at a farm in Britain owned by Europe's largest turkey producer.
Health officials put in place more restrictions Sunday to contain the deadly H5N1 strain. It is not known how the virus reached the Suffolk farm, although some have speculated that wild birds carried it to the farm. The H5N1 outbreak is Britain's first since a wild swan was found infected in Scotland in March.
The outbreak has been identified as the highly pathogenic Asian strain, similar to the strain that caused an outbreak in Hungary in January, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Dr. David Nabarro, senior United Nations system coordinator for avian flu and human influenza, says virus is unlikely to spread from the affected farm in Britain.
"From what I picked up during the last three days the U.K. government has instituted the proper precautions," Nabarro told the Associated Press.
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