England confirms first bird flu outbreak of season at egg farm
England has confirmed its first bird flu outbreak of the season on a farm with 32,000 egg-laying hens, Farmers Weekly, Farmers Guardian and the BBC reported. The farm is near Belford in Northumberland. All the birds there have been culled.
England has confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu this season on a commercial farm, according to Farmers Weekly, Farmers Guardian and the BBC. The farm, near Belford in Northumberland, kept about 32,000 free-range egg-laying hens.
The virus is a highly dangerous form of bird flu called H5N1, Farmers Weekly and Farmers Guardian reported. Defra, the UK government department for food and farming, confirmed the case, Farmers Guardian said.
Officials set up a 3-kilometer protection zone and a 10-kilometer watch zone around the farm, Farmers Weekly reported. That is about 2 miles and 6 miles. All the birds on the farm were to be culled, the outlet said. The BBC reported that the remaining birds have been culled.
The farmer, Catherine Armstrong, said her hens began dying a week ago, the BBC reported. More than 1,000 were dead by Sunday night. "To see them all lying dead, just a carpet of dead birds, is quite shocking," she said. She expects the loss to cost her business more than £100,000.
The source is not yet known, the BBC reported. Wild birds are thought to have brought the virus onto the farm, which has strict safety rules.
It is the second case of highly dangerous bird flu in Great Britain this season, Farmers Weekly reported. The first, a different strain, was in a backyard flock on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Britain has now lost its bird flu-free status, which affects trade, the outlet said. Last season, 100 farms and other sites were hit.
Officials expect more cases as the weather gets colder and wild birds migrate, the BBC reported. A vaccine trial in turkeys ended in August, but results won't come until the end of the year, a Defra spokesman said, according to the BBC. Vaccines will not be an option this season.
The risk to public health remains very low, the UK Health Security Agency said, according to the BBC. Properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
What we know: Bird flu hit a 32,000-hen egg farm in Northumberland, and the birds were culled.
What we don't: How the virus got onto the farm.
Where outlets agree Farmers Weekly, Farmers Guardian and the BBC report that England's first bird flu outbreak on a farm this season hit a free-range egg farm near Belford, Northumberland.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.