Thousands of turkeys were “humanely culled” in the outbreak of H5N8 avian influenza in British farms
Reference News Network reported on November 30 that after British health officials found the avian influenza epidemic, a local farm would kill about 10,500 turkeys.
The British government said that the turkeys would be “humanely slaughtered” at a turkey farm in North Yorkshire to control the spread of the disease.
According to the report, the British government found the H5N8 avian influenza virus near the breeding facility in Northallton on Saturday local time. Every winter, wild birds transmit such strains to poultry during their migration from the European continent to the United Kingdom.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said they were “emergly looking for evidence of the spread of the disease”.
“Poultry farmers should be alert to all signs of illness, report suspected cases in a timely manner, and ensure the biosafety of the farm,” said Christine Middlemis, chief veterinary officer of the department.
The report noted that temporary control areas were set up within 3 kilometers and 10 kilometers around the epidemic area, but the Public Health Service of England, which is responsible for preventing such epidemics, said that the public’s risk of infection is “very low”.
“The World Health Organization has not confirmed a human case of H5N8 avian influenza so far, and the public’s risk of infection is very low,” said Gavin Dabrera, consultant for acute respiratory infectious diseases at the Public Health England.
According to the report, Britain can sell about 10 million turkeys every year during Christmas. The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not expect the slaughter to affect the supply of turkey this year.
