Avian flu confirmed in commercial turkey flock in California

(Reuters)

Federal agriculture officials say they have found avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock in central California.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday that the facility in Stanislaus County has been quarantined and birds from the affected flock will not enter the food system.

Testing occurred after the flock experienced a spike in deaths.

Officials say there is no immediate public health concern and the detected strain - H5N8 - is not known to harm humans.

The bird flu strain H5N1 ravaged poultry across Asia in 2003 and is more easily spread among humans.