Mass turkey cull to halt bird flu

Tens of thousands of turkeys are being culled at a Suffolk farm as efforts continue to prevent the spread of a mass outbreak of bird flu.

Government vets say 50,000 turkeys have been gassed so far at the Bernard Matthews site near Lowestoft where the H5N1 strain of the virus was found.

reposted from: BBC Last Updated: Sunday, 4 February 2007, 20:24 GMT
my highlights / emphasis / edits

Officials, who said a further 100,000 birds would be killed, denied they had responded slowly to the outbreak.

Sealed lorry loads of carcasses are being taken 200 miles to be destroyed.

Compensation

Government vets said 50,000 turkeys had been gassed at the farm at Holton, about 27km south-west of Lowestoft, by 1300 GMT on Sunday.

The cull is expected to be completed by Monday morning.

Fourteen sealed lorries containing the bird carcasses were travelling to a rendering plant in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, on Sunday evening where they will be destroyed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that the Bernard Matthews company will be entitled to compensation for the slaughtered birds.

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The company could claim under the Animal Health Act 1981 the value of each bird just before slaughter as well as that of any eggs and property removed and destroyed, a spokesman said.

Investigations are continuing into how the disease, identified as the "highly pathogenic" Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, entered the poultry flock.

Some experts have suggested it might have been spread by wild birds.

The first turkeys died at the site on Tuesday and government vets were called in on Thursday after a vet for the Bernard Matthews company concluded the disease was "unidentifiable".

The authorities have denied their response was slow.

Fred Landeg, the government's deputy chief vet, said that although the company vet was called out on Tuesday, turkeys only began to die in significant numbers two days later, suggesting avian flu might be cause.

Farmer reacts to threat

"The premises were immediately placed under restrictions and an investigation started," he said.

A biosecurity zone has been set up around the farm and poultry owners in the restricted area have been told to keep their flocks isolated from wild birds.

A three-kilometre protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone also remain in place around the farm site.

A much wider restricted zone covering 2,090 sq km is bordered by the A140 to the west and the A47 to the north and almost to Felixstowe in the south.

What each zone means

Health experts have been quick to quell fears the virus found in Suffolk could be passed on to humans.

The avian flu virus has so far killed 164 people worldwide - mainly in south-east Asia - since 2003. So far, all those who contracted the virus had come into close contact with infected birds.

Bird watchers stay vigilant

Health Protection Agency chief executive Professor Pat Troop said the virus "doesn't pass easily from bird to human" and the risk to the general population from the outbreak was "very, very low".

But Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the government was taking the possibility of a human flu pandemic in Britain "very seriously".

The Department of Health had taken the advice of scientists and stockpiled enough of the Tamiflu anti-viral drug to cover a quarter of the population, she told ITV1's The Sunday Edition.

But agencies dealing with the Suffolk cull said they were confident it had been contained.

The virus has so far been detected in only one shed out of 22 at the site, and 100 of the 2,000 staff who work at the Holton farm have been given the Tamiflu anti-viral drug.

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A spokesman for the Bernard Matthews company said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and there was no risk to public health.

Jill Korwin, assistant head of Trading Standards for Suffolk, added: "At the moment we are very encouraged that it has been contained."

But United Nations co-ordinator for bird flu, David Nabarro, has said farmers will have to get used to the presence of the disease in the UK as it is "going to be in bird populations for several years to come".

For more information call the Defra Helpline on 08459 33 55 77

If you have any pictures from the scene you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text your pictures to 07725 100 100.

Scene of outbreak All poultry to be culled Visitors disinfected and restricted access 3km Protection Zone Poultry kept indoors and tested 10km Surveillance Zone No movement of poultry to or from area except for slaughter Trains carrying live poultry are prevented from stopping in the protection zone Bird fairs and markets banned Increased surveillance of wetland areas Domestic birds not to share water used by wild birds Footpath restrictions likely only on free-range farms People in towns not affected unless they keep poultry. Restriction Zone Isolation of poultry from wild birds Poultry movements to be licensed Source: Defra Timeline of Bird Flu in UK Quick guide to Bird Flu Wikipedia H5N1 article

World braced for huge surge in bird flu cases

· 160,000 turkeys slaughtered on farm
· Don't panic over food, plead experts
· Concern at delay in informing Defra

Robin McKie and Nick Mathiason
Sunday February 4, 2007
The Observer


All the turkeys on the affected farm near Lowestoft will be culled. Photograph: Chris Young/PA

reposted from: Observer
my highlights / emphasis / edits

The number of cases of the deadly bird flu virus is increasing around the world as scientists struggle to combat the disease that is now threatening to jump species and infect humans. The news comes as Britain confirmed its first ever case of H5N1 in a farm in Suffolk. More than 160,000 birds will now be slaughtered as the country's farming industry goes on high alert for more outbreaks.

As the authorities responded to the outbreak in Suffolk, local residents questioned why it had taken some 48 hours after the first chicks died last Tuesday for the government's Department of Food and Rural Affairs, Defra, to be informed.
But there was also wider concern. Japan and Nigeria have reported a series of cases of the lethal virus, and China, Egypt, Russia, South Korea and Vietnam have also revealed outbreaks in birds and in humans in the past two months. Indonesia began a mass bird cull in the capital city of Jakarta last Wednesday. At least 164 people are now known to have been killed by the disease across the globe.

The rapid spread of avian flu can be traced to the fact that the H5N1 virus is mutating as it spreads through birds and a variety of mammals including cats, tigers and pigs, said Robert Webster, a researcher at St Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Last night British health officials insisted the risk to the public was still negligible. It set in motion a series of emergency measures aimed at halting the spread of the disease among poultry in Britain. All the turkeys on the affected farm at Holton near Lowestoft, the largest poultry centre run by the breeder Bernard Matthews, are now being culled. Yesterday, piles of slaughtered birds were being scooped into open tractor trailers before being removed for incineration.

An exclusion zone of three-kilometres (nearly two miles) has been set up around the farm. All poultry in the area are to be kept indoors and tested for the H5N1 virus. A further 10km zone has been established in which all movements of poultry are banned, and last night another 2,090sq km restriction zone was created to isolate poultry from wild birds. Other measures will include a ban on bird shows, poultry markets and pigeon racing. This follows a decision by Defra to revoke the national general licence on bird gatherings.

Last night, the National Farmers' Union president, Peter Kendall, said his organisation had warned members to be vigilant. A spokesman for Matthews said his organisation could confirm there had been a case of H5N1 avian influenza at its Holton site. But he added: 'It is important to stress that there is no risk to consumers.'

Dr Andrew Landeg, the government's deputy chief veterinary officer, revealed he had called in ornithologists in a bid to understand how wild fowl - now thought to be the most likely source of the Suffolk outbreak - might have carried the virus into one of the 22 turkey breeding sheds at the farm. Officials also needed to know what other areas of the country might now be at risk of outbreaks.

Last night, it was revealed that Defra had identified several areas in Britain considered to be at particular risk of picking up H5N1 from infected wild fowl. The farm at Horton was one of them.

Avian flu expert Dr Colin Butter of the Institute of Animal Health said it was now crucial that veterinary scientists discover whether the farm was the first place this strain of flu had emerged. It could be that the outbreak was an 'unhappy chance event', or it could indicate a significant level of the disease in wild birds indigenous to the UK, which in turn would make the virus harder to stamp out. Exclusion zones and culling would not be sufficient to contain the virus, Butter added.

However, Landeg yesterday ruled out the alternative - the introduction of vaccinations for poultry, a measure already introduced in Holland - as being ineffective.

As a result, farmers with free-range flocks may face serious threats to their livelihood. However, one organic poultry producer said moves to house birds permanently indoors would be counter-productive. 'My birds are resistant to the range of diseases that affect conventional flocks because their immune systems have been boosted through living outdoors. I accept that as a new strain of bird flu, special measures may be required in the short-term, but these should not be at the expense of the principles of good husbandry.'

However, Landeg yesterday insisted that the disease could be contained. 'There's a good hope, if this is not the first case, we will be able to contain this disease.'

It was revealed last night that five people in Indonesia have died from the virus since the beginning of the year while Japan yesterday confirmed its fourth outbreak of H5N1 bird flu this year and Thailand has reported three outbreaks during the past month.

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Belief or not

• 03 February 2007
• David McMahon Mosman, New South Wales, Australia

Roy Sablosky writes to claim that atheism is not itself a belief (13 January, p 19).

But, to quote the Oxford English Dictionary, an atheist is "one who denies or disbelieves the existence of a God".

The correct term for someone who does not believe in the existence of a god, but does not assert the non-existence of a god, is "agnostic".

From Dave Minter

Roy Sablosky's letter reminds me of a signature line that I saw on a contribution to an online bulletin board.

It read: "If atheism is a faith, then not playing chess is a hobby."

London, UK

From issue 2589 of New Scientist magazine, 03 February 2007, page 21

Car drivers 'risking skin cancer'

Drivers who spend a lot of time behind the wheel increase their risk of skin cancer, US work suggests.

Experts say repeated sun exposure through the car's side windows is to blame, and drivers who roll down the window are at even greater risk.

Most glass used for windows blocks UVB rays that cause sunburn but not deeper penetrating UVA rays.

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine team presented their work to the American Academy of Dermatology.

reposted from: BBC

my highlights / emphasis / edits

Exposure

They looked at 898 patients (559 men and 339 women) with skin cancers occurring on either side of their body.

Among the men, the rate of cancers directly correlated to the areas of the body most often exposed to UV radiation while driving - which in the US is the left-hand side of the body.

Although glass greatly reduces the risk of sunburn, it does not prevent long term damage from UVA Cancer Research UK

Many of these tumours were cancers that develop over time and are linked to cumulative sun exposure rather than intense, intermittent sun exposure.

They affected sun-exposed areas like the head, neck, arms and hands.

Lead author Dr Scott Fosko said: "This finding supports our theory that drivers who regularly spend more time in the car over the course of several years are more likely to develop skin cancers on the left side of the body, particularly skin cancers that develop gradually over time."

Windows open

Dr Fosko's team is now starting to gather detailed information on the driving habits of the skin cancer patients they see in their clinic.

Initial data shows that those who spend the most time per week driving a car are more likely to develop left-sided cancers.

"We're also finding that all drivers who occasionally drive with the windows open had a higher incidence of left-sided cancers," Dr Fosko said.

He added: "Since there are more cars on the road than ever before, it is likely that this trend will continue. And with more women driving...higher reports of left-sided skin cancers in women in the future."

Harmful rays

Most windscreens, unlike the side windows of a car, are made of laminated glass that can filter both UVB and UVA.

Dr Fosko suggested tinting the side window glass or using UV filters on windows might help reduce a driver's risk of harmful exposure.

Cancer Research UK advises: "Although glass greatly reduces the risk of sunburn, it does not prevent long term damage from UVA.

"So if you are driving long distances or sitting in your conservatory every day for long periods of time, with the sun beaming in on you, then you are putting yourself at risk."

But Josephine Querido, cancer information officer for the charity, stressed this did not necessarily mean that you would get skin cancer.

"In terms of the amount of UV sunlight people are exposed to during the course of a year, the amount received through car windows is likely to be a very small percentage.

"It is important to take care whenever you are exposed to the sun, to know your skin type, and, above all, never burn as this can double your risk of getting skin cancer," she said.

Bird flu in Sussex - Experts play down risk to humans

Last Updated: Saturday, 3 February 2007, 13:34 GMT

Experts play down risk to humans

Bird flu cannot pass easily between humans Experts have stressed the outbreak of bird flu at a farm in Suffolk poses no immediate risk to human health. The outbreak has been confirmed as the H5N1 strain of the virus which has infected 270 people, and killed 164 - most in south east Asia - since 2003. However, the virus cannot easily pass from human to human at present. reposted from: BBC my highlights / emphasis / edits So far, all those who have been infected have been poultry workers who have come into intimate contact with infected birds. There is no immediate public health risk Dr Colin Butter Institute of Animal Health Experts warn that if the virus acquires the ability to pass from human to human, then it will pose a potential threat to millions across the globe. Health chiefs in the UK have warned that if such a modified strain does emerge then tens of thousands of people could die in Britain alone. However, at present H5N1 remains overwhelmingly a disease of birds, and not humans. So at present the threat to human health from the outbreak in Suffolk is minimal - particularly as it appears to have been rapidly contained. Asia is key Dr Colin Butter, a bird flu expert at the Institute of Animal Health, said: "This outbreak is no risk to the general public and will be controlled by culling. It is exceedingly unlikely that any human is going to get sick as a result of H5N1 in one turkey farm in Britain at this time Dr David Nabarro United Nations "The risk to public health is from a human pandemic which is not likely to originate in Europe. "A pandemic of this type, if it does happen, is likely to occur in an area where people live side by side with birds, like in East Asia. "So there is no immediate public health risk, but this is clearly something we need to get under control." Dr David Nabarro, bird flu coordinator for the United Nations, also stressed that H5N1 posed little threat to humans. He said: "It is exceedingly unlikely that any human is going to get sick as a result of H5N1 in one turkey farm in Britain at this time. "The numbers of human cases are very, very small indeed, even though the virus has been moving through poultry in at least 50 countries in the last year, and led to millions of birds dying. "This is really not a human disease, it is a poultry disease." Farm workers Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, said the workers on the Suffolk farm were also unlikely to be at risk. He said poultry workers in south east Asia effectively lived with their birds, and had far closer contact than any of their counterparts in the UK. "On a modern poultry farm a lot of the feeding is done mechanically, and the involvement of the workers with the poultry is really minimalised." Dr Maria Zambon, from the Health Protection Agency, said farm workers who had come into contact with infected birds, and those involved in the culling process would be offered the anti-viral drug tamiflu as a precaution. She stressed that nobody had developed symptoms of bird flu following similar outbreaks among farm birds in continental Europe. David Catlow, president of the British Veterinary Association, said the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had acted quickly to contain and isolate the outbreak. He stressed that the public were safe to continue eating poultry. Virus mix The H5N1 virus is most likely to acquire the ability to pass easily from human to human if it mixes with a standard flu virus, and swaps genetic material. This could happen if H5N1 infects a human - or other animal - which is already infected with standard flu. To minimise the risk of this happening in the UK, the Department of Health recently announced that it would offer seasonal flu vaccine to poultry workers across England. The theory is that if poultry workers are kept free of normal flu, then even in the highly unlikely event that they were infected with H5N1, the bird flu virus would not come into contact with its cousin.