EAST Anglian farmers face worrying times after it emerged today that the strain of bird flu found in chickens on an Oxfordshire farm is “highly pathogenic” - the first time it has been identified as such in Britain.
EAST Anglian farmers face worrying times after it emerged today that the strain of bird flu found in chickens on an Oxfordshire farm is “highly pathogenic” - the first time it has been identified as such in Britain.
The H7 avian flu virus was discovered yesterday in hens at the farm in Banbury.
All birds on the site were slaughtered.
While the H7 strain has been found in Britain on several occasions before this is the first time it has been identified in the highly pathogenic, or deadly, form.
Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens said: “I would stress the need for poultry keepers to be extremely vigilant, practise the highest levels of biosecurity and report any suspicions of disease to their local Animal Health Office immediately.”
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