Over 30,000 Turkeys Set for Slaughter as Germany Reports Bird Flu Virus H5N8 on Farm

Germany has reported cases of the deadly bird flu virus H5N8 on a turkey farm in the country's northeast, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Over 30,000 turkeys are set to be slaughtered following the discovery of the dangerous virus at the farm in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

"H5N8 [influenza] has been found in at least one turkey at the farm in Heinrichswalde," Elke Reinking, spokeswoman for the German veterinary research institute (FLI), told Deutsche Welle.

The disease itself has never caused a human death but the FLI says that it will not rule out any threat to people.

"We have to assume that every highly pathogenic virus can also represent a danger to humans," FLI president Thomas Mettenleider said.

The most notable outbreak of this strand of bird flu was in Ireland in 1983 when 8,000 turkeys, 28,000 chickens and 270,000 ducks were slaughtered.