Bird flu outbreak

[AB Asks]

The farm at the centre of the of the bird flu outbreak is resuming production. Around 159,000 turkeys were culled after the HN51 strain of bird flu was detected. Officials are trying to work out where the virus came from, and there are suggestions that it could have came from an infected wild bird or poultry from Hungary. Do you think that bird flu poses a threat to public health? Or do you think it's all a big fuss over nothing? Have you been put off buying poultry products?

[ELVIS68]

I heard on the news it did come from Hungary

And yes I am put off buying poultry...It`s Duck for me from now on :oP

[jake-the-peg]

Nope it's a threat to Farmers and anyone in contact with bird faeces.

Last time I checked that's not the public <insert joke of your choice here>

Come back when it mutates into a human-Human transmissible form and I'll lock myself in the basement then!

[youngmafbog]

At present no evidence to prove it transmits to humans so looks like the usual media blow out of proportion by praying on the publics fears.

Has not stoppped me from eating poultry but then BSE did not stop me scoffing good cheap steaks!

[Lonnie]

Money talks.

[jake-the-peg]

Don't think your friendly local chicken farm would agree that it's out of all proportion!

And the chicken farming industry employs 55,000 people in the UK - they and their families probably think it's kinda worrying.

Especially those working directly with the birds.

Of course as we know all real people live in big towns and cities so what's the problem?

[claguey]

It hasn't stopped me eating poultry but made me more determined to buy British, free range or organic raised birds. We've got plenty on offer from UK farmers why import from Hungary or anywhere else for that matter? If this was France they would have slapped a ban on any imports no matter what the EU told them - remember our beef & lamb they blockaded?
If you've still got one support your local Butcher, or when shopping at the supermarket remember to check the country of origin of poultry, avoid foreign and BUY BRITISH!

[kwicky]

Over 160 people have died from bird flu worldwide. I would not say its a fuss about nothing. Scientists know given the right circumstances it could develop into a pandemic. For instance if any one of Bernard Matthews employees had normal flu and he handled the turkey with bird flu the resulting mutation could have been catastrophic. We were lucky this time!
The cover up and buck passing by all concerned is disgraceful. Why not wait just a number of weeks so that any possible danger had cleared instead of resuming production. Spin is the operative word but they have succeeded in creating a jumbled mess.

[dot.hawkes]

I know that two children died of birdflu in turkey, but they were allowed to play with a severed birds head as though it were a football, doubt anyone over here would be so ignorant and neglectful.