Birdflu Mailing List: New outbreak of the birdflu in Romania

[Zsolt Vincze (ZVincze]

05/23  2:19p CDT Romanian authorities quarantine dozens of communities,
cul

Romanian authorities quarantine dozens of communities, cull

domestic fowl 

   BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) _ Romanian authorities have quarantined

dozens of communities and culled domestic fowl to contain a new

outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, the Agriculture

Ministry said Tuesday.

   Romania detected its first outbreak of the virus since October

in dozens of small villages, and has since culled more than a

million domestic birds. However, the new outbreak, which began last

week in an industrial chicken farm in Codlea, sparked widespread

criticism that veterinary rules were not properly enforced.

   The virus has been confirmed in 44 locations, most near Codlea,

the ministry said. An H5 subtype of the virus was also detected in

chickens being raised in households at the edge of Bucharest, the

ministry said.

   Authorities have killed all domestic fowl, including chickens,

turkeys, ducks and pigeons in 38 communities, with culling efforts

still under way in the six other remaining locations.

   On Tuesday, Romania's main intelligence agency published a

report which said the farm outbreak in Codlea could have stemmed

from tens of thousands of imported live chickens and turkeys from

Hungary and Slovakia.

   Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, however, discounted the

report, saying there was no evidence that the chickens were

infected before arrival in Romania.   

(PROFILE

(WS SL:BC-EU-GEN--Romania-Bird Flu; CT:i; 

 

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Zsolt Vincze

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