After south-east Asian countries, migrating to Hungary last month, now it’s Britain that’s attacked by the bird flu. First detected in a farm near Lawestoft in Suffolk, the veterinary laboratory agency confirmed that the poultry found dead here was infected by a H5N1 avian flu virus. The say it is a highly dangerous epidemic that will soon draw attention in Asia.
Taking away the lives of over 160 millions poultry all across the globe since 2003, this time the bird flu slaughtered 2500 birds in a farm run by Europe’s biggest turkey manufacturer Bernard Matthews.
Further tests & observations are in process to identify a more precise strain. According to which, birds are restricted to move in & out from the site. This flu can be fatal to humans. The experts are left wondering that how the flu was introduced into the sealed shed on Holton farm.
Square steel gas chambers were delivered to Holton farm yesterday. Here at the hub at the Bernard Matthews business empire, all the infected turkeys that were about 160000 in number were folk lifted into the chambers & gassed to death.
The workers in charge were offered the avian flu drugs such as Tami flu & they were dressed up in protective clothing of virus.
The first signs were traced last Tuesday, when 71 chicks died; further 186 died the following day, 860 on Thursday & 1500 on Friday. Eventually it was discovered that the birds were infected by H5N1 virus that had taken the lives of around 165 people all across the globe since 2003.
The virus cannot be passed from human to human at present. In a statement Bernard Matthews assured that it had biosecurity measures in place. Peter Kendall, president of National Farmers Union, told to the BBC television that the shoppers should not stop buying poultry.