Scott McPherson's Web Presence

Dr. Henry Niman has a very thorough analysis of the Suffolk H5N1 outbreak.  Titled Phylogenetic Analysis of H5N1 in Suffolk England, Dr. Niman reveals that the Qinghai strain found at the Redgrave Park Farm is a veritable match for the German and Czech substrains of Qinghai (Clade 2.2) H5N1 that were typed this past summer. 

With this disclosure, it is Game, Set and Match (so to speak) for wild bird contamination of the free range farm.  But now, of course, the culling has widened to include some 22,000 turkeys, geese and ducks.  The same workers who managed and maintained the Redgrave operation also operated and maintained three other poultry farms in the immediate area.  Those birds, too, will be culled as a precaution.  This is also because the authorities suspect lax biohazard protocols, and are not willing to take any chances.

The effect of the cull includes a pre-holiday rush for Christmas and holiday poultry, especially turkeys and geese.  Orders are streaming in to British storekeepers from families, who are worried there will not be enough holiday fowl to go around this Christmastime.

The analysis can be found at: http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11140701/H5N1_Suffolk_Phylogeny.html