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A second case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, it was announced today.The news comes just days after confirmation of an outbreak at the Redgrave Park farm, operated by Redgrave Poultry.

More than 28,000 free-range turkeys on four farms closely linked to the infected site, in Suffolk, were culled following the outbreak."We have confirmed a second case of H5N1," a spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
"It is on one of the four farm premises we confirmed last week. All the birds there have already been culled."

The site of the new infection - Hill Meadow Farm, in Knettishall - is outside the two-mile protection zone set up around Redgrave Park by Defra following news of last week's outbreak.
The declaration of a protection zone bans the movement of birds, eggs and carcasses into or out of the area and restricts other movements within it.However, the new farm is within a wider restricted zone that covers Suffolk and much of Norfolk.Hill Meadow Farm was identified as having "dangerous contact" with the initial outbreak last week because workers for Redgrave Poultry, which operates all five sites on which culls have taken place, moved between the farms.

Defra said the birds appeared healthy when they were first inspected, but a precautionary cull was completed on Saturday. Yesterday, a Defra statement said 28,600 birds had been culled at four premises."The laboratory test results today highlight the importance of poultry keepers in the area being extremely vigilant," the acting chief veterinary officer, Fred Landeg, said.
"It is essential they practise the highest levels of biosecurity and report any suspicions of disease to their local animal health office."

The operations director for Redgrave Poultry, Geoffrey Buchanan, said Defra had told the company "a small number of turkeys" culled at Hill Meadow Farm had tested positive for the H5N1 strain."It stated that on clinical inspection the flock appeared healthy, which indicates the infection was in its early stages," he added.

According to the company, Hill Meadow is a seasonal farm that rears turkeys for Christmas, and no birds have been slaughtered for food or sent to customers. All staff at the farm have been offered preventative medicines against avian flu.A new two-mile protection zone has been set up around the farm, and an extended surveillance zone, surrounding both sites, has also been established.

Officials are still awaiting results following culls at two other Redgrave Poultry farms - Stone House, in West Harling, and Bridge Farm, in Pulham, both in Norfolk.