British: No Risk From Bird Flu Outbreak
 

About 2,500 turkeys died of H5N1 strain of bird flu on the farm owned by Bernard Matthews PLC, Europe's largest turkey producer. It was the first time H5N1 had been found on a British farm.



All 159,000 turkeys at the farm, 100 miles northeast of London, were ordered to be slaughtered.



"I think what the public should know, not just here but around the world, is that the U.K. has very well-advanced contingency planning arrangements, that they are being followed by officials and farmers right around the country and they are being followed in an extremely prompt way," Environment Secretary David Miliband told Sky News.



The Bernard Matthews company said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain and consumers were not at risk.



"All proper procedures were followed and we responded accordingly in good time," the company said.



Staff from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds were patrolling the Minsmere reserve near Saxmundham, the nesting area closest to the Bernard Matthews farm, and 200 other reserves around the country.



The society said no problems had been detected so far.



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