Deadly H5N1 bird flu hits second UK turkey farm*

By Megan Levy and agencies
Last Updated: 9:39pm GMT 19/11/2007

A second case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in
turkeys at a farm near last week's initial outbreak, the Department for
the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed today.

All 9,000 turkeys have already been slaughtered at the new infected
premises, Hill Meadow Farm in Knettishall, on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

Deadly bird fly hits second farm
About 6,000 birds were slaughtered after last
week's initial outbreak in Redgrave

The farm is operated by the same company that runs Redgrave Park Farm,
where the first bird flu case was discovered last week.

Defra had already ordered four precautionary culls - including at the
new infected site - because Redgrave Poultry staff moved between the
sites and authorities feared "dangerous contact" with the initial case.

The spread of the disease is a bitter blow to the £3.4 billion poultry
industry, and there are warnings that supply shortages could mean
consumers have to pay more than £100 for an organic Christmas turkey.

Hill Meadow is a seasonal farm rearing turkeys for Christmas, and
Redgrave Poultry said no birds had been slaughtered for food or sent to
customers.

Defra said the Hill Meadow Farm birds appeared healthy when they were
first inspected, but a precautionary cull was completed on Saturday.

The farm is outside the original 3km protection zone set up, but inside
the wider restricted area which covers Suffolk and much of Norfolk.

A new 3km protection zone has been set up around the farm, and an
extended surveillance zone which surrounds both sites has also been
established.
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Acting chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg said: "The laboratory test
results today highlight the importance of poultry keepers in the area
being extremely vigilant.

"It is essential they practise the highest levels of biosecurity and
report any suspicions of disease to their local animal health office."

Geoffrey Buchanan, operations director of Redgrave Poultry, said: "Defra
has today advised us that a small number of turkeys culled at Hill
Meadow Farm have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

"It stated that on clinical inspection the flock appeared healthy, which
indicates the infection was in its early stages."

Around 6,000 birds were initially slaughtered at the poultry holding in
Redgrave last week after bird flu was detected on the premises.

Vets have yet to establish how the virus arrived in the UK. However is
the same strain that caused outbreaks in Germany and Bohemia this summer
and one theory is that it was brought by migrating birds which settled
on an ornamental lake near Redgrave Park Farm.

A total of 1,200 poultry producers, with 25 million birds - including
two million turkeys - lie inside the restricted zone imposed on the
whole of Suffolk and most of Norfolk and are barred from moving their
flocks outside it.

The other three farms where precautionary culls have taken place are
Stone House Farm in West Harling, Norfolk, Bridge Farm in Pulham,
Norfolk, and Grove Farm near Botesdale in Suffolk.

Initial tests on 5,500 turkeys slaughtered at Grove Farm found the site
was free of the disease, and officials are awaiting results of the
remaining two culls.