The avian flu virus has been detected on two Bernard Matthews farms, but consumers have been reassured there is no danger to human health.

Authorities are still determining the strain of the virus, but have already ruled out the highly pathogenic types H5 and H7.

The virus was found on two of the Norfolk turkey giant’s small breeder farms after an unusual drop in egg production levels was detected. It has not yet been necessary to cull birds on the affected farms, and no infected meat has entered the food chain, a spokeswoman said.

News of the virus comes as a hammer blow to Bernard Matthews, which is still recovering from heavy sales losses following a serious avian flu outbreak in February 2007.

"We followed all procedures correctly and as far as we are concerned it's business as usual," Bernard Matthews marketing director Matt Pullen told The Grocer. "Supply is unaffected and the key thing is that this is a form of AI that doesn't pose a risk to human health. Our other farms are continuing to operate normally."

Defra expected to establish the strain of the virus within a few days, a Government spokesman said. “Routine veterinary investigations into notifiable diseases occur on a regular basis,” he added. “It is a legal requirement to notify the Animal Health agency of the possibility of such diseases whenever these cannot be ruled out by a vet or an animal keeper as part of the diagnosis of illness in animals or birds.”

Incidences of avian flu are “not entirely unexpected,” the Defra spokesman added, as there was a continuous ongoing low risk of virus outbreaks across the EU.

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