New Bird Flu outbreaks

Pat's Note

So it spreads from a factory farm consortium to free range flocks.

I knew the b******s were hiding something.

The manager of the original farm does not even know what farms his company
owns!!!

Seriously are you comfortable with this rubbish?

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED29%20Apr%202006%2020%3A24%3A09%3A490

Two more cases of bird flu Norfolk

EMMA KNIGHTS, IAN CLARKE

29 April 2006 20:22

Two poultry farms, close to a farm in Norfolk infected with bird flu, have
found the disease in their livestock, Defra announced tonight.

The shock news was revealed less than 24 hours after it appeared the threat
of any spread of the H7N3 virus had passed.

The latest infected cases are in free range flocks close to Whitford Lodge
Farm, North Tuddenham, near Dereham where the first outbreak was discovered
earlier this week.

About 8500 birds in each of the two free range flocks will be slaughtered on
suspicion of an avian notifiable disease.

Paul Harper, group technical manager for Banham Poultry who own Whitford
Lodge Farm, said that to his knowledge the farms involved did not belong to
Banham Poultry.

He added that the cull of 35,000 chickens at Whitford Lodge Farm had now
been completed.

Debby Reynolds, the government's chief veterinary officer, said: "We are
investigating whether there any links or movements between the two suspect
farms and the confirmed infected premises.

"The working hypothesis remains that the most likely source of the virus is
from another premises or from wild birds."

The government said initial tests showed the farms were affected by the H7N3
strain.

Further tests are being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

A restricted zone has been put in place extending 1km from each of the
infected premises. The State Veterinary Service is tracing movements and
contacts, the necessary surveillance and all appropriate worker protection
measures have been put in place.

Mid Norfolk MP Keith Simpson said: "This is obviously a blow."

Nigel Joice, regional chairman of the National Farmers' Union poultry board,
said: "We are disappointed but the chances are that it is low pathogenic.

"I am led to believe that there has been no excessive mortality - the
investigation was triggered by a drop in egg production."



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