no danger to humans from eating chicken or any other poultry

A new attack of the bird flu virus has been officially confirmed in chickens at a farm in the UK. Birds were tested and found to contain an influenza virus of the variant H7 which while similar to the deadly H5N1 bird virus does not pose much of a threat to humans.

Nevertheless the threat to the birds is significant and therefore as a precautionary measure to make sure the virus does not spread further all of the birds in the farm in Oxfordshire were slaughtered on the orders of the Chief Veterinary Officer for the United Kingdom Mr. Nigel Gibbens.

In line with established practice special zones have been set up around the farm to minimise the likelihood of the infection spreading further a field. Any birds which are within a three kilometre radius of the farm must be kept inside and isolated from any wild birds.  Also poultry is not allowed to be moved within a 10km radius of the farm and all markets that sell birds in the area are to be banned.

The boss of the the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom said that despite this outbreak there was no danger to humans from eating chicken or any other poultry. She also stressed that eggs were perfectly safe to eat and that the virus could not be passed in any case by eating an infected bird but only by extremely close contact with the sick animals.

Ukmedix News recently reported that the H7 variant of the bird flu virus seems to be mutating slightly after scientists examined some cases in the United States. Samples from this outbreak of the bird flu virus will be couriered to scientists around the world so that they can be examined and any changes noted.

Though it has not been confirmed by the UK health authorities it is probable that people who have been in contact with the infected birds will be given the influenza drug Tamiflu as a precaution.