Czechs in huge turkey culling

CZECH veterinarians started culling several thousand turkeys at a farm yesterday after tests confirmed the country’s first outbreak of a deadly form of bird flu in poultry.

Veterinary officials have declared protected areas of up to 10km in radius around the farm in Tisova, 150km east of Prague, in which protective measures will be taken, including testing of animals and a ban on moving poultry.

The state’s veterinary authority said test results released yesterday confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu type that is potentially deadly to humans.