25,000 turkeys slaughtered at W.Va. farm

A strain of avian flu different from the one that has infected humans in Africa and Asia was detected at a turkey farm, requiring the slaughter of 25,000 birds, state agriculture officials said Monday.

"People should not be worried," said Buddy Davidson, a spokesman for the state Agriculture Department. "This should not affect the average person at all."

The turkeys are being destroyed to prevent the virus, which can kill birds, from mutating and spreading.

Authorities are telling poultry farms in five counties not to remove any bird bedding or manure until testing can be done.

The flu was detected during routine screening. Routine tests have been done since a 2002 outbreak in Virginia.