H5N1 Spead on Suffolk and Norfolk Farms
Recombinomics Commentary
November 19, 2007
DEFRA is expected to announce confirmation of second case of avian flu on Monday afternoon.
It is understood that poultry have tested positive at one of the four farms culled as ‘dangerous contacts’ because of links to Redgrave Park Farm, in Suffolk, where disease was confirmed last week.
Test results on one of the farms where disease had been suspected turned out to be negative.
But tests on a second suspected case are believed to have shown the presence of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.
The detection of H5N1 on a second farm will significantly increase the number of farms in the protection zone. Earlier reports indicated “preliminary” testing of dead turkeys at the Grove farm was negative. The Grove farm was within 2 miles of Redgrave Park, site of the initial outbreak (see satellite map). However, the other three suspect farms were significantly further north of the two farms with dead turkeys.
Confirmation at a second farm would likely lead to additional testing of samples from the Grove farm as well as more testing at neighboring farms and asymptomatic waterfowl.
The latest DEFRA announcement declined to specify when additional test results would be released.
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