Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Bird flu in England raises fears across EU

|
|
 
  
Published: Feb. 5, 2007 at 11:37 AM
Advertisement

LONDON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- British officials said Monday they are nearly finished culling about 160,000 turkeys infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The discovery of the virus, which was found in England at the European Union's largest turkey farm on Saturday, has raised fears that it could spread across the European continent, Deutsche Welle reported.

The strain of avian influenza found at the farm is similar to a strain of Asian H5N1 detected among geese in Hungary in January.

The operators of the farm, Bernard Matthews Foods, said the virus could not have been transported from its Hungarian operations to the English location.

"The fact that we have a Hungarian operation is immaterial," a spokesman for the company said.

When bird flu was last detected in Europe, it affected 14 EU member states. The virus was last noted in Germany in August 2006.

David King, Britain's chief scientist, downplayed fears the virus could spread to other birds around the country and elsewhere in Europe. "I'm really confident this is not going to spread to other poultry holders," he said.

Topics: David King, Deutsche Welle
© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
Notable deaths of 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee AmfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala
Indianapolis 500 Presidential Medal of Freedom Memorial Day around the nation
Additional Science News Stories
1 of 27
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego wins Finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
View Caption
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego, California watches confetti rain down as she wins the two-day Scripps National Spelling Bee championship, May 31, 2012, in National Harbor, Maryland. Nandipati successfully spelled the word .* guetapens *, meaning to lure or ambush. UPI/Mike Theiler
fark
Freed dissident Chen Guangcheng is hopeful for Chinese democracy, Slash and Axl reunion
Got two unrelated, unsolicited heartfelt "thank-you's" from two of my clients today. What are the...
After years of collegiate research, scientists conclude men looking for a one-night stand are more...
How to tell if that voice in your head is God. Is it telling you to kill people? Yep, that's God...
Podiatrist accused of begging a 15 year-old teenage babysitter to have sex with him for pay. However,...
40 of the most powerful photographs ever taken. Subby made it to #36 before it got way too dusty...