The Asian strain of the H5N1 avian virus has killed 2,600 turkeys at a Bernard Matthews farm in Holton, Suffolk, with 159,000 more birds being slaughtered. People in the village have been reacting to the news.
Villagers living close to the bird flu outbreak in Suffolk said they were more concerned about local jobs than the threat to their health.
Many said the small villages surrounding the Bernard Matthews farm where the virus has been detected depended on the poultry industry for jobs.
They also expressed fears that news of the outbreak would put visitors off coming to the area, hitting local businesses reliant on tourism.
In The Triple Plea pub, just a few hundred yards from the sprawling turkey farm, locals watched passing media crews and police teams with bemusement.
"It seems to me like there's been a huge overreaction," said Crawford Prasser.
"People have been more concerned about the England rugby game than this outbreak.
"People have died in Iraq today and the news crews have got helicopters up looking at a turkey farm.
"Quite a few of the locals work down there and they will be concerned about the future and I think that's the main fear."
'Confusion'
A worker at the factory, who asked not to be named, said their fear was the impact the outbreak would have on Bernard Matthews.
"I just hope we all manage to keep our jobs," he said.
"This is a place were jobs are hard to come by"
"The fear is that this could lead to the factory being closed for a while and who knows what might happen.
"I haven't been told anything yet and there's lots of confusion at the moment."
The farm where the deadly H5N1 virus has been detected lies a short distance from the quiet countryside villages of Holton and Halesworth.
The site, which features several low slung aluminium buildings arranged in fields around a warehouse, has been taped off by police and all surrounding roads have been cordoned off.
About 1,000 people are employed at the farm, many from local communities.
Locals said Bernard Matthews also bussed in workers from larger towns further afield.
The area, in the heart of Suffolk's rolling countryside, is heavily dependent on the poultry industry.
About 96 other poultry producers with 50 or more birds are located within the 10km surveillance zone around the farm set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Tourist fears
John Gummer, MP for Suffolk Coastal, is the former agriculture minister who famously ate a hamburger with his daughter during the BSE scare in 1990. He said if the poultry industry was hit it would devastate the area.
"We are reliant on Bernard Matthews and the poultry producers here," he said.
"It's not only the people employed but also the shops and services that are reliant on them.
"This isn't a very rich part of the country. This is a place where jobs are hard to come by. We are hoping this is sorted out as quickly as possible."
Mr Gummer also said he feared tourists would be put off visiting Suffolk because of the outbreak.
Family-run bed and breakfast businesses are dotted throughout the area, catering for those visiting the area for short breaks in the country.
Precautions
Sarah Hart, who runs a B&B, said: "Obviously if there's a frenzy of fear, which we are trying not to let happen, then it could stop people coming to this lovely area.
"I don't think there's any danger but if people stop coming it will affect us."
Rob Cannon, 26, a farm worker who works near the factory, keeps three chickens in his back garden.
"My first thought was 'bloody hell' when I heard the news. I immediately took my chickens into the house as we've been told.
"I'm taking precautions by making sure I hose down my shoes after walking outside. I hope this doesn't have too much of an impact on local jobs."
Most residents said they were not worried about contracting the virus, which can be fatal.
Jake Oxford, barman at The Triple Plea, said people were aware there was a very low chance of the disease being passed to humans.
"Most people are just making light of all this," he said.
"We were thinking of running up to the police in a turkey costume just to liven things up a bit.
"We don't have any turkey on the menu here either, so we should be all right. People round here are not the type to overreact to something."
Panic
Environmental scientist Pam Cronin, who lives half a mile from the farm, said her main concern was that elderly people were being unnecessarily scared.
"I spoke to one lady who said someone had told her it was unsafe to drink the water now," she said.
"Some elderly people are starting to panic, which is ridiculous. It's not to say it's not a serious issue. It is for Bernard Matthews and the people who work there.
"But I think it's being blown out of proportion. The general population aren't at any risk at all."
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