Peter Duncanson
2007-02-09 17:24:51 UTC
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=62707
UK Shop Meat Checked For Bird Flu Virus
09 Feb 2007
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is checking whether bird flu
contaminated poultry meat is being sold in UK shops.
...
Sir David King, the UK Government's chief scientist said that
the strain of H5N1 found in Suffolk is identical to that found
earlier this year on a goose farm in Szentes, Hungary, about 160
miles from Bernard Matthews' Hungarian meat processing plant in
Sarvar. He told the BBC that the most likely scenario was that
the H5N1 got into the country in poultry meat.
It was revealed yesterday that partly processed meat was being
routinely transported from the Bernard Matthews Hungarian plant
to its UK Suffolk plant, next to the farm where the outbreak
occurred, every week. The Hungarian plant lies outside the
restricted area.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
announced yesterday that they, DEFRA, the FSA and the Health
Protection Agency (HPA) are looking into the possibility that
the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary, and the
outbreak in Suffolk are linked.
At first government officials thought the contamination route
was through wild birds, but DEFRA's Deputy Chief Veterinary
Officer, Fred Landeg, says that new evidence suggests the virus
was transmitted in meat products rather than wild birds.
Meanwhile Bernard Matthews has stopped importing poultry meat
from Hungary.
The FSA are saying that even if the infected poultry meat has
entered the human food chain it does not present a risk to the
public.
...
Fred Landeg said that the scientists are in the middle of a
large and complex epidemiological investigation resembling a
large jigsaw where some of the pieces are missing and may never
be found. He said they may have to conclude the investigation on
the "balance of probabilities".
DEFRA have said the poultry meat route is one avenue of
investigation they are pursuing at present. However, they are
also investigating "a number of other hypotheses". They are not
ruling out the possibility that the wild bird population is
infected and that it played a role in the transfer of the virus.
They said that until the investigation has come to a conclusion
restrictions such as those placed on housing and shooting of
birds need to remain in place.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) say that the risk of
catching the deadly strain of avian flu from poultry comes only
from being in close contact with live birds that are infected
with the virus. Eating poultry or eggs does not carry risk of
infection to humans. Poultry includes chicken, duck, goose,
turkey, and guinea fowl.
UK Shop Meat Checked For Bird Flu Virus
09 Feb 2007
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is checking whether bird flu
contaminated poultry meat is being sold in UK shops.
...
Sir David King, the UK Government's chief scientist said that
the strain of H5N1 found in Suffolk is identical to that found
earlier this year on a goose farm in Szentes, Hungary, about 160
miles from Bernard Matthews' Hungarian meat processing plant in
Sarvar. He told the BBC that the most likely scenario was that
the H5N1 got into the country in poultry meat.
It was revealed yesterday that partly processed meat was being
routinely transported from the Bernard Matthews Hungarian plant
to its UK Suffolk plant, next to the farm where the outbreak
occurred, every week. The Hungarian plant lies outside the
restricted area.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
announced yesterday that they, DEFRA, the FSA and the Health
Protection Agency (HPA) are looking into the possibility that
the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary, and the
outbreak in Suffolk are linked.
At first government officials thought the contamination route
was through wild birds, but DEFRA's Deputy Chief Veterinary
Officer, Fred Landeg, says that new evidence suggests the virus
was transmitted in meat products rather than wild birds.
Meanwhile Bernard Matthews has stopped importing poultry meat
from Hungary.
The FSA are saying that even if the infected poultry meat has
entered the human food chain it does not present a risk to the
public.
...
Fred Landeg said that the scientists are in the middle of a
large and complex epidemiological investigation resembling a
large jigsaw where some of the pieces are missing and may never
be found. He said they may have to conclude the investigation on
the "balance of probabilities".
DEFRA have said the poultry meat route is one avenue of
investigation they are pursuing at present. However, they are
also investigating "a number of other hypotheses". They are not
ruling out the possibility that the wild bird population is
infected and that it played a role in the transfer of the virus.
They said that until the investigation has come to a conclusion
restrictions such as those placed on housing and shooting of
birds need to remain in place.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) say that the risk of
catching the deadly strain of avian flu from poultry comes only
from being in close contact with live birds that are infected
with the virus. Eating poultry or eggs does not carry risk of
infection to humans. Poultry includes chicken, duck, goose,
turkey, and guinea fowl.
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
Peter Duncanson, UK