17th Nov 2014 - 12:08
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Abstract
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed a case of avian flu outbreak in a duck-breeding farm in Yorkshire with very low risk to human health and no risk to the food chain.
Preventative measures are being taken to control the outbreak. A 10km restriction zone has been introduced and a complete cull of all 6,000 birds on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection. The case confirmed on Sunday afternoon has been identified as a H5 avian flu strain and tests are being run to identify the exact strain.
Public Health England has confirmed the risk to public health is extremely low and the H5N1 strain that is highly infectious for humans has also been ruled out.
The Food Standards Agency said: “On the basis of current scientific evidence, the Food Standards Agency advice is that avian (bird) flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.”
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