john b 38 Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 The type of H7 bird flu found in hens in Oxfordshire is "highly pathogenic", the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said. This means it can cause serious illness or death in birds. People coming into close contact with it also run a slight risk of being made ill. Previous cases of H7 in Britain have been "low pathogenicity" - meaning the symptoms in birds are not severe. All birds on the infected premises, near Banbury, have been slaughtered. The H7 strain is regarded as a much less serious threat to human health than the highly virulent H5N1 strain. Tests are now being conducted at the affected farm to determine the exact type of H7 present. An investigation is also under way to try find the source of the outbreak. BBC News Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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