Britain probes bird flu outbreak

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LONDON, England -- Britain was Saturday investigating a outbreak of bird flu at a poultry that has killed more than 2,000 turkeys.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that preliminary tests had confirmed the bird flu outbreak was the H5 strain of the disease.

Further tests were underway to ascertain whether the birds were suffering from the H5N1 strain that can be fatal to humans.

The disease struck at a farm in Suffolk, southeast England, run by poultry produce manufacturer Bernard Matthews, the UK Press Association reported.

Officials said staff at the farm were being monitored and restrictions were in force to stop birds being moved in or out of the site, DEFRA said.

The outbreak is the second time in less than 12 months that UK-reared poultry has been hit by bird flu.

More than 30,000 birds were slaughtered after chickens near Dereham, Norfolk, tested positive in April. One worker at the farm caught the disease and was treated for an eye infection.

But the country has so far escaped major outbreaks of the deadly form of the disease, despite several incidents in eastern Europe.

In May 2006, a wild swan carrying H5N1 was discovered dead in Scotland.