Wirral Borough Council has said an 8 year-old turkey has become unbearable after contracting a strain of man flu not previously found in poultry.
The New Ferry Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the bird had been infected with the M10N8 strain of man flu virus known to cause severe bouts of complaining, lethargy and a refusal to participate in basic household chores. The World Health Organisation has described the most recent case of human-to-turkey transmission as “tiresome”.
Turkey, Colin Devine, first showed symptoms on Monday evening, including a slight sniffle and a feeling of ‘coming down with something’. However, by Tuesday the disease had escalated into full blown nausea, accompanied by a blocked beak and ruffled feathers.
Devine later downed three packets of Lemsip before ringing his employer to say he was unlikely to turn up for his job at a meat processing factory this side of Christmas. Tim O’ Leary of the WHO’s Wirral branch said, ‘It’s been sat there all day watching TV wrapped in a blanket.’
The outbreak is reminiscent of the one last December in which three thousand geese avoided slaughter after contracting man flu off a bloke called Alan in work. The strain M245G was later identified as “nasty”.
‘Many of these birds are perfectly healthy, but are convinced they are about to die,’ O
Leary added. ‘The safest way to prevent further transmission is by keeping them wrapped up in tin foil in a well-heated environment for at least two hours or until the juices run clear.’
