Major bird culls in UK and Germany to stop spread of flu virus
A new bird flu outbreak of H5N8 strain has been found in a Suffolk farm containing about 23,000 birds. A six-mile control zone has been placed around the area and the birds will be culled. Also, being a key pig producing area, farmers have been warned over costly restrictions where pigs and poultry co-exist in close proximity. Public Health England said the risk to the public from the virus was very low. At the same time, German authorities say about 776,000 poultry have been culled since November due to bird flu. As we noted, many European countries, along with Israel and parts of Asia, have been hit by bird flu.
Restrictions have been put in place around a farm in Suffolk amid concerns over a new outbreak of bird flu, the Government has said.

Lab tests have confirmed avian flu strain H5N8, which has been circulating in wild bird populations and caused a number of outbreaks in the UK, but it is not yet clear whether the disease is "highly pathogenic" - deadly to birds - or not.

The affected poultry farm near Redgrave, Mid Suffolk, contains around 23,000 birds, a number of which have died.

A decision has been made to humanely cull the remaining birds, while an initial 10km (six mile) control zone has been put in place to prevent spread of the disease.

Officials said further investigations were continuing to establish if thedisease was highly pathogenic and find the possible source of the infectionPublic Health England said the risk to public health from the virus was verylow and the Food Standards Agency said it does not pose a food safety risk for consumers.

Government advice on bird flu can be found here.