Tests confirm infected Norfolk turkeys have deadly H5N1 flu strain

Thousands of turkeys, geese and ducks are already being slaughtered and emergency protection zones were immediately set up around the site after the flu was detected at a farm in Norfolk.

If the disease spreads it is feared it could devastate the industry and lead to turkey shortages in the run-up to Christmas.

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Dr Fred Landeg, the deputy chief vet, said tests showed the dangerous H5N1 subtype was present on the farm in Redgrave near Diss on the Norfolk-Suffolk Border.

This dangerous type of the flu has killed millions of birds worldwide.

Tests had have already confirmed that a turkey at the farm died from the H5 strain of bird flu.

Protection and surveillance zones, set at 3km and 10km respectively, were put in place around the infected farm after the disease was confirmed, restricting the movement of birds and requiring them to be housed and isolated from wild birds.

Defra later announced further restrictions in a wider area as a "precautionary measure" after consultation with experts, meaning the whole of Suffolk and much of Norfolk were affected.

The farm is operated by Gressingham Foods, whose operations director Geoffrey Buchanan said: "We believe the outbreak has been contained and that the measures are in place to allow us to continue to serve our customers.

"Turkey meat continues to be safe to eat."

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He said no Gressingham ducks - favoured by chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Delia Smith and Gary Rhodes - were reared at the site.

Neighbouring farmers have spoken of their fears that the disease could spread.

Eddie Heggarty, who owns a poultry business in Pulham Market, said: "I've had to move all my birds indoors. We have only 60 for Christmas, but obviously it's a worry."

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The disease has struck a rearing unit where 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese are being prepared for Christmas.

Movement of live birds is restricted within a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone.

There are fears that the outbreak could exacerbate an expected shortage of turkeys for Christmas. Last week, the industry warned that soaring feed costs could add £5 to the shop price of a typical bird.

Dr Fred Landeg, the deputy chief vet, stressed that there was no risk to humans from eating poultry meat and eggs as long as they were cooked properly.

He added: "It is very difficult to transmit avian influenza from birds to human beings. There has to be fairly close contact with the birds and with their faeces.

"We will be looking at the movements on to the premises and off the premises of birds and movements of people, vehicles and things, to see whether there is another origin somewhere in the country or whether the disease could have spread."

The disease was discovered on Sunday by a vet who noticed that there had been a growing number of turkey deaths in one of the five sheds on the Norfolk farm.

The birds were free range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and were at greater risk of exposure to the wildfowl that visit an ornamental lake next door.

Officials at Defra, the food and farming department, think this is the most likely source of the disease which is spread through saliva and droppings.

They said the farm was not linked to the Bernard Matthews site at the centre of February's avian influenza outbreak in Suffolk.

A report into that outbreak found that imported turkey meat from Hungary, and not wild birds, was the most likely source.

Andre Farrar, of the RSPB, said it was premature to assume that the disease had spread to poultry from wild birds this time.

"Last time people went on a mad whirl of speculation on how wild birds had moved the virus and it turned out not to be the case," he said.

The farm was formerly the estate of the stately home, Redgrave Park, and is now owned by Guy and Elizabeth Topham who rent out the land.

The European Union Commission has been kept informed about the situation, while all businesses on the British poultry register will be notified.

The revelation that bird flu is back is a devastating setback for farmers.

This year they have already faced outbreaks of bird flu, foot and mouth disease and bluetongue.

Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, said: "We will be working closely with Defra to do all we can to contain and eradicate this disease as quickly as possible.

"Obviously this is another huge blow to the farming industry, which is still dealing with the effects of bluetongue and foot and mouth."

There are more than a dozen strains of bird flu in the wild. The most virulent are H5 and H7, while the H5N1 subtype is the deadliest.

Many scientists believe that H5N1 could mutate into a new, deadly form of human flu.

However, that is most likely to happen in Asia where people live in close contact with birds. The disease has killed 300 humans so far.