British government scientists investigating the bird flu outbreak at a turkey farm in Suffolk have said it is looking increasingly likely that it was introduced not by migratory birds, but by turkeys imported from Hungary, where there was a recent outbreak.
The possibility was initially ruled out by the company, Bernard Matthews, which has a plant there.
The Environment Department's deputy chief veterinary officer Fred Landeg described the investigation into the outbreak at the plant in Holton as 'like a jigsaw puzzle'.
But he conceded the evidence suggests the virus may have travelled from Hungary in meat product rather than entering the farm on a wild bird as initially thought.
He went on: 'However, as we put that evidence together, it appears that the virus from Hungary may well be identical to the Norfolk strain and that suggests the virus was carried here directly, possibly in meat product, rather than wild birds at this stage but we are still keeping an open mind.'
