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Dutch authorities identify bird flu strain as highly contagious H5N8

Cull of 150,000 chickens under way at Netherlands egg-producing farm after highly contagious H5N8 strain detected; H5 case at UK duck farm

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An expert wearing a protection suit works at a poultry farm, where a highly contagious strain of bird flu was found by Dutch authorities, in Hekendorp. Photo: Reuters
Reuters

Dutch authorities said they had identified the bird flu involved in a major outbreak at a poultry farm in the central Netherlands as H5N8, the same highly contagious strain that wrought havoc in Asia this year.

They set about destroying 150,000 chickens as they attempted to contain the damage to the egg industry in the Netherlands, the world's largest exporter.

The Netherlands cull came as a duck breeding farm in northern England was closed off yesterday after an outbreak of bird flu, although officials said the risk to public health was "very low".

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An estimated 6,000 ducks on the farm will be culled and a 10km restriction zone has been put around the site near Driffield in Yorkshire.

Renowned virologist and bird flu expert Ron Fouchier said British authorities had told their European counterparts that the virus was the same H5N8 strain as found in Germany earlier this month and now in the Netherlands.

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An EU source said that it was "most likely the same strain in all three places" - the Netherlands, Britain and Germany.

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