Thousands of turkeys are set to be culled after an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in North Yorkshire.
More than 10,000 of the birds will be destroyed following confirmation of avian influenza of the H5N8 strain at a turkey fattening premises near Northallerton.
A statement from Defra said: "Avian influenza of the H5N8 strain was confirmed at a turkey fattening premises near Northallerton on Saturday November 28."
Authorities have now confirmed that all 10,500 birds at the farm will be "humanely culled" as a result.
An exclusion zone has been put in place around the site in a bid to limit the spread of infection while an investigation has now been launched to locate the source of the outbreak.
Public Health England (PHE) and the Food Standards Agency have assured consumers that the risk from avian influenzas is very low risk to people, and that properly cooked poultry products including eggs are safe to eat.
The authority has also said the incident is not anticipated to have any impact on the supplies of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.
UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, who advises the Government on animal welfare, said “immediate steps” were taken to stop the disease from spreading when it was detected at the farm on Saturday.
She added: “Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.
“We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.”
Dr Gavin Dabrera, consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE, said the World Health Organisation has never confirmed a case of the avian flu strain (H5N8) in humans.
He said: “As a precaution the local Health Protection Team will offer routine health advice to those working on the farm. We will work with Defra to monitor the situation closely.”
Wild birds migrating from mainland Europe during the winter period can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds.
