UK and Hungary dispute source of bird flu outbreak

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) A report from Britain's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said today the bird flu outbreak in Suffolk, UK, was ''most likely'' linked to the import of poultry products from Hungary.

But Hungary's agriculture minister said the deadly avian influenza virus could not have reached Britain from Hungary and he considered the case closed.

DEFRA said: ''The interim (epidemiological) report ... concludes that currently the most plausible route of transmission is associated with the importation of poultry products via Hungary.'' Commenting on the British report, Fred Landeg, the UK's deputy chief vet, said: ''We are yet to reach a final conclusion and our investigation will continue to be all embracing in respect of possible means of introduction of the virus.

''We may never be able to conclusively pinpoint the original source of the virus.'' The two countries have been feuding over the likely route of the British outbreak of the H5N1 virus, which led to the destruction of thousands of turkeys in Britain, after an earlier case in Hungary.

Hungary's Agriculture Minister Jozsef Graf told a news conference: ''We cannot imagine (the virus) getting there from Hungary, the technology is so closed and controlled.'' He concluded there was no evidence that any meat entered the UK food chain from restricted zones in Hungary.

Hungarian, UK and EU officials will meet today to discuss the UK report, and Landeg said Britain would continue to share information.

Hungary's Graf said turkey exported from Hungary to the UK was for human consumption and could not have reached a farm there, but he added that he did not want to get bogged down in a daily political debate with Britain.

''This is a professional issue, I did not want to raise it to the political level. Let the chief vets sort it out between themselves.'' WILD BIRDS UNLIKELY LINK The DEFRA epidemiological report repeated earlier UK findings that there was ''little evidence'' that the Suffolk bird flu outbreak was caused by wild fowl.

Defra added that Europe's leading turkey producer Bernard Matthews would end its voluntary suspension of movements of poultry products between its UK and Hungary operations from midnight.

A separate report by DEFRA and UK food safety agencies found that all food processing and importing at the Bernard Matthews poultry factory at Holton, Suffolk, was in line with Europan Union regulations.

Properly cooked poultry meat remained safe to eat, the UK's Food Standards Agency said.

A protection zone, a surveillance zone and a wider restricted zone, including Suffolk and Norfolk, were still in place, DEFRA said in a statement.

Bans on organised bird gatherings in non-restricted parts of England had been lifted but the requirement to house domestic birds within the zones would remain in place, it added.

A temporary shooting ban would also be lifted today.

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