Worst bird flu outbreak in UK history could put Christmas turkeys at risk
Christmas turkey supplies could be at risk if the worst avian flu outbreak in UK history continues to spread, the National Farmers’ Union has warned.
More than three million birds have had to be culled so far, with Avian Influenza Prevention Zones introduced in Norfolk, Suffolk, parts of Essex and the whole of the South West of England.
Bird flu has been detected at 155 sites across the UK.
While wild bird populations have been severely affected, poultry farmers are growing increasingly concerned about their livestock – and whether Christmas turkey supplies could be impacted.
“It is a risk,” James Mottershead, chairman of the NFU Poultry Board, told Sky News.
“If bird flu, for example, gets into turkeys that could cause holy carnage; that could cause real supply chain issues in the run-up to Christmas time. The realities of it are quite severe.
“I do know of some instances where seasonal turkey producers have been affected by this, so far, this year. If you have an outbreak on your farm and your farm is classed as an infected premises, it is serious – you could be out of production up for up to 12 months.”
On 27 September, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) extended its Avian Influenza Prevention Zones following a number of detections.
It is now a legal requirement for bird keepers in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex to follow strict biosecurity measures – with keepers of more than 500 birds now required to restrict access for non-essential people on site.
In Devon, poultry farmer James Coleman, who runs Creedy Carver farm, has had to cull 20,000 ducks.
He has not had a case of avian flu but took the decision as a preventative measure to protect his chicken and duck processing plant on the same site – which processes birds for other farmers.
“I wouldn’t say we’re clinging on – but it’s had a huge effect,” he told Sky News.
“At the moment everybody in the industry is just on tenterhooks constantly. As soon as you get a new batch of birds on our other site, you’re permanently worried. Every day you go and look at them and if a duck sneezes in a slightly different fashion, you’re instantly thinking ‘hang on a minute – is something wrong?'”
Farmers currently only receive compensation for healthy birds that are culled, but not those that die of the disease, or consequential losses.
He said there needs to be a “massive review” on how DEFRA deals with the outbreak, and called for further financial aid.
“If we’re going to have a situation where the government is going to continue shutting down businesses and shutting down farms, we need financial support.
“The rest of the country had it through COVID – we need that same level of support.
“If we are being forced to close through government policy, we have to have that same financial support that everybody else had so that when we’ve done the clearout and when we reopen again, we still have a business to come to.”
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August: Bird flu devastates UK island
While farmers try to keep their sites secure, the UK’s wild bird population has already faced devastation.
For months, thousands of dead birds have been washing up on beaches across the UK.
Paul St Pierre, conservation officers at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, told Sky News the impact has already been “massive”.
He said: “We’ve seen declines of between 50% and 80% of the population of Great Skua in the UK and we hold two-thirds of the world population, so that species has gone straight onto the red list.
“These birds are long-lived – you’re talking about birds that don’t even start breeding for five years and then they only have one chick per year, so it might take decades before some of these populations recover,” he added.
In a statement, DEFRA told Sky News: “The UK is currently experiencing the largest-ever outbreak of avian influenza. To date, 3.1 million birds have unfortunately been culled. This represents a small proportion of overall poultry production, around one billion birds a year.
“DEFRA’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) disease-free status.”
Patients will be able to get weight loss injections from pharmacies, according to reports.Â
It’s claimed drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro could be available over the counter after a short consultation – at the cost of an NHS prescription.
This would broaden access to these jabs considerably, as the health service currently restricts injections to those regarded as having the highest clinical need.
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Weight loss drugs ‘changing way we see obesity’
At the moment, there is a two-year waiting list for Wegovy on the NHS – and last year, research by Sky News showed the rollout is happening far more slowly than planned.
Thousands of people with severe obesity have been denied access to the treatment, with doctors previously claiming that a “soul-destroying” postcode lottery has emerged.
According to the Daily Mail, a multimillion-pound deal for a pilot scheme will be struck with a pharmaceutical firm, with a view to issuing prescriptions through chemists and health centres.
They would be priced at £9.90 – the same as an NHS prescription – and substantially less than the £150-a-month cost of obtaining these injections privately.
But the reports have been described as “speculative”, with health experts warning obesity drugs must only be used under medical supervision by those who are eligible.
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The weight loss drug that’s ‘too good’
A government spokesperson said: “As the government shifts the NHS from sickness to prevention, we will be looking across the board at how these drugs can be made available to more people who can benefit from them.
“The NHS is already tackling obesity in innovative ways, including through community care models and digital technologies, to help deliver these drugs as part of a rounded package of care.”
Previous estimates from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have suggested that 3.4 million people in England could benefit from weight loss injections.
But last December, NICE said these jabs would only be available to 220,000 patients on the NHS in the first three years – meaning millions of others could end up waiting up to 12 years for treatment.
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‘I need weight loss drug but can’t get it’
Studies show people lose on average 15% of their body weight within months of starting treatment with Wegovy. The drug mimics a natural hormone and people feel fuller faster and for longer.
Obesity costs the NHS £6bn a year and is linked to 200 different diseases.
Half of all obese people with three related problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, die within 10 years.
The UK has seen its warmest start to May on record as temperatures soared to over 29C in the spring sunshine.
The Met Office said 29.3C (84.7F) had been recorded at Kew Gardens in southwest London, passing the previous 1 May record of 27.4C (81.3F) set in Lossiemouth in 1990.
Thursday was also the warmest day of the year so far, beating the previous high of 26.7C (80F) reached in Wisley, Surrey, on Wednesday.
Follow latest updates: May record broken
The seafront in Southend-on-Sea. Pic: PA
But the heat is not expected to last for the bank holiday weekend, with cooler weather starting to drift in from the north on Friday.
Temperatures are expected to ease by Friday and Saturday, meaning cooler conditions of 14C to 18C across the UK.
Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said: “Temperatures tomorrow will be slightly reduced from what we’ve seen today, possibly 26 or 27 degrees in the far southeast of England through the day tomorrow.”
What has led to the hot spell?
Forecasters said the hot spell has been due to the jet stream remaining stuck north of the country, allowing high pressure to settle.
Last month was also the sunniest April in the UK since records began in 1910, with 47% more sunshine hours than the long-term meteorological average, and the third warmest April on record, according to provisional Met Office figures.
Rainfall was well below average for most of the UK last month, with just 56% of expected totals recorded.
And Tyne and Wear had its second driest April on record, with only 7% of its usual rainfall.
Boy’s body recovered from lake
Meanwhile, the recovery of a 16-year-old boy’s body from a lake in Nottingham prompted emergency services to warn about swimming in lakes and rivers.
Chief Inspector David Mather, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.”
A lifeguard at London Fields Lido in east London. Pic: Reuters
The London Fire Brigade said its crews responded to 565 water-related incidents last year and have already attended around 160 in the first quarter of this year, with incidents ranging from rescuing people to animals stranded on lakes and ponds.
‘Water temperatures can be dangerously cold’
Assistant commissioner for prevention and protection Craig Carter said. “Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold. Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are. It can lead to water inhalation, and, in the worst cases, drowning.”
People enjoy their ice creams during in St James’s Park, London. Pic: PA
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) offered similar warnings, advising those planning to swim at a lifeguarded beach to swim between the red and yellow flags.
Fire services warned that the warm weather means there is a “heightened” risk of grass and wildfires which can spread more easily during the dry spell, as firefighters have been battling what they described as a large wildfire in the Peak District.
The RAC also cautioned drivers on the roads, with spokesman Rod Dennis saying breakdowns are expected to “soar”, while the NHS reported searches for hay fever advice had doubled from Monday to Wednesday.
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