'Millions of Thanksgiving Turkeys Recalled Due to Avian Flu' Fake News Story Goes Viral

A fake story claiming that millions of turkeys were recalled due to avian flu has created ripples in the online community.

The story was posted on National Report, a satirical website well known for publishing fake stories with sensational headlines.

The bogus report read: "The CDC has confirmed that millions of turkeys have been recalled due to safety concerns over an avian virus that the birds may be harboring. The virus is related to human influenza virus but was thought to lack the ability to infect humans. However, it appears that the virus has recently developed the ability to move from bird hosts to humans. The results could be disastrous.

"In studies done with the newly transmissible virus, it showed similar abilities to infect humans as the avian flu virus that killed 50 million people in 1918," the report stated.

The article also carried a made up quote from Bob Marcer, a CDC epidemiologist, as saying: "We are in a very hazardous situation here. From our sampling efforts, we know that millions of turkeys that have been sold in the last weeks are harboring this virus. The handling, preparation, and eating of these turkeys could infect millions of people during the Thanksgiving holiday. Follow that with the large crowds of Black Friday shopping and the Christmas shopping season in general, and millions more could be infected through casual contact. We are looking at a holiday season epidemic."

Many Twitter users fell for the website's false story and shared it on social media.

The 'report' was re-posted on the alleged right-wing website 'Conservative Frontline.' It publishes false reports taken from the National Report.

The website had previously published fake reports titled 15-Year-Old Gamer Convicted in 'Swatting', NYPD Officer Kills Baby, Obama Proclaims August International Muslim Awareness Month and Micheal Bay On Transformers 5: "Optimus Dies, Rodimus Rules".