Fears of Christmas turkey shortage after bird flu outbreak leads to mass cull

An outbreak of bird flu has led to thousands of birds dying on a single farm, sparking concerns for Christmas lunches.

A poultry farm near Belford, Northumberland, has seen 2,000 of their birds killed.

Now, they are set to cull 29,000 to manage the outbreak, with a protection zone set up around the facility.

Northumberland County Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson warned other farms could be affected if the illness spreads, including Turkey farms.

He told the BBC: ‘If bird flu gets into those, that’s ruined them for the year – because that’s their main money-making part of the year.’

Bird flu is a disease of birds caused by influenza viruses. The strain found in Northumberland is the H5N1 virus.

Symptoms in birds include a swollen head, closed and runny eyes, lethargy and depression, lying down and unresponsiveness, lack of co-ordination, eating less than usual and a sudden increase or decrease in water consumption.

Some species such as ducks, geese and swans can carry the avian influenza virus and spread it without showing any signs of illness.

Councillor Gordon Stewart added: ‘Wild birds migrating to the UK from mainland Europe during the winter months can carry the disease and where wild birds are allowed to mix with domestic poultry, this can lead to the disease spreading to captive birds. 

‘Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.’

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