Have millions of Thanksgiving Turkeys been recalled for Avian Flu?

Rumours are flying across the Internet that claim millions of turkeys are being urgently recalled after concerns were raised that they may be infected with an avian virus which could be deadly to humans.

The rumours are circulating shortly before Thanksgiving 2014, where turkey consumption will be at an all-time high.

However the rumours are false, and have started courtesy of serial nonsense-starting website NationalReport.net which tells the tale of how the CDC are trying to get turkey buyers to call the “Turkey Safety Hotline” to ensure they remain safe.

From the website –

The CDC has confirmed that millions of turkeys have been recalled due to safety concerns over an avian virus that the birds may be harboring. The virus is related to human influenza virus but was thought to lack the ability to infect humans. However, it appears that the virus has recently developed the ability to move from bird hosts into humans

There is absolutely no factual information presented in the article at all. Bob Marcer, the CDC epidemiologist mentioned in the article is not real. Nor is the “Turkey Safety Hotline” and the number in the article will lead you to the religious fanatical cult ‘The Westboro Baptish Church’ who are not known for their Thanksgiving cooking prowess. As far as we’re aware, at least.

National Report.net is a fauxtire website that prints fake news and calls it satire or entertainment, despite being fully aware that their articles fool people for real. Unlike genuine satire, the articles on NationalReport.net could be interpreted by many as genuine news and are presented as such, with little or no attempt at humour.

We don’t recommend sharing such articles, and this story should not be circulated as true as it may cause needless panic. Learn more about these fake news websites here.