Press Release: Avian Influenza: H5N1 virus confirmed in UK

On 2 February 2007 the European Commission was informed by the UK authorities of a suspected outbreak of avian influenza in Suffolk, in the east of England. The outbreak occurred on a holding of 159,000 turkeys, and was detected following the death of around
2,500 birds. Samples from the infected establishment were immediately sent to the Community Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, which swiftly confirmed the disease to be the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Further tests to characterise the virus are underway, in order to ascertain whether or not it is the Asian strain.