Thousands of birds at a turkey fattening farm in Yorkshire, UK will have to be culled after an outbreak of bird flu.
According to The Independent, 10,500 birds will be killed to control the spread. A temporary control zone has been put in place for the farm until the situation has been dealt with.
“Public Health England has confirmed that the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency advises that bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers,” said Christine Middlemiss, the government’s chief veterinary officer.
“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.”
Public Health England (PHE) has said the public health risk for humans is low. The World Health Organisation has never recorded a spread of H5N8 to humans.
Those in the UK have also been assured that this is unlikely to affect supply for turkey over Christmas. The Food Standards Agency has still advised those cooking meat to ensure they do so properly.
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