Bird flu outbreak confirmed at turkey farm in Lincolnshire

A bird flu outbreak has been confirmed at a turkey farm housing more than 5,000 birds in Lincolnshire.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said on Friday the H5N8 strain had been found at the farm near Louth. The virus has been circulating in mainland Europe.

All of the surviving animals will be culled and a protection zone has been placed around the facility. Officials said there was a low risk to the public and insisted there would be no impact on the Christmas turkey supply.

Most birds at the premises have died already, officials said, adding that a 3km (1.9 mile) protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone had been put in place around the farm to help stop the spread. Birds must be kept housed in the zones and the moving or gathering of them is banned.

An update on the Defra website said: “We are taking immediate and robust action and an investigation is under way to understand the origin of the disease and confirm that there are no further cases.”

Public Health England said the risk to public health from the virus was very low and the Food Standards Agency said bird flu did not pose a food safety risk. Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, were safe to eat, officials said.

The chief veterinary officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: “Avian flu has been confirmed on a turkey farm in Lincolnshire. This is the same strain that has been affecting poultry in Europe. Immediate steps have been taken to limit the risk of the disease spreading and all remaining poultry at the farm will be culled.

“Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises. We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.”

A PHE spokesperson said: “Avian flu (often called bird flu) is primarily a disease of birds. There have never been any recorded cases of H5N8 in humans and the risk to public health is considered very low. We continue to work closely with Defra throughout this investigation. Despite the risk being very low, we will offer health advice to those people who may have been exposed on the farm as a precaution.”

Defra said a detailed investigation was in progress to determine the most likely source of the outbreak, which is the first in the UK since January.

Since June, countries in Europe and Asia have detected A(H5N8) infections in wild birds and/or domestic poultry including Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Switzerland, according to the World Health Organisation, although most were associated with wild birds.

Bird flu outbreak confirmed at turkey farm in Lincolnshire