British health officials have begun killing 6,000 ducks at a breeding farm in East Yorkshire after an outbreak of bird flu.<br /><br /> The strain of the virus has been confirmed as H5N8, the same as that found at a chicken farm in the Netherlands and in Germany. It is not deadly to humans unlike the H5N1 form which kills 60% of people who become infected.<br /><br /> The World Health Organization said the virus may infect a few people, but is highly unlikely to spread amongst humans. There has never previously been a case of human bird flu in northern Europe. The H5N8 strain is however very dangerous for bird life and likely to hit other bird populations in Europe.<br /><br /> EU officials say migratory birds heading south for winter are probably the cause of the outbreak.
