Tweet
Romania: More cases of H5N1 strain of bird flu detected
http://www.daily-news.ro/article_det...darticle=23532
More cases of H5N1 strain of bird flu detected
Oana Dan
Preliminary tests have indicated several new cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in domestic fowl in eastern and southern regions of the country, authorities said Friday.
In one case the national laboratory in Bucharest detected the virus in samples from several dead chickens on two household farms in the southern village of Morteni, some 80 kilometers west of the capital, said Grigore Mertoiu, who heads the local animal health agency.
Authorities quarantined the village and have already culled more than 1,000 domestic fowl.
In the country's east, the national lab reported cases of infected hens, turkeys, geese and other birds in five villages. And in the eastern city of Buzau, the H5N1 strain was found in a wild goose.
However, authorities decided to relax the quarantine in several localities in Constanta County, allowing people to move around in the county, saying that the culling of birds was successful and the risk of the virus re-appearing is very small.
Today, agriculture officials from five states in the Black Sea region are to meet in Bucharest to discuss joint actions to combat the spreading of the bird flu virus.
Representatives from Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey are to reconvene with Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur and tackle the issue of prevention of the spreading of the deadly strain at animals and humans.
The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain was first detected in the Danube Delta in October. There have been more than 30 outbreaks in small villages in Romania since then, forcing authorities to cull more than 150,000 domestic birds as a precaution.
There have been no reported human cases of bird flu in Romania until now. The virus has a limited ability to infect humans who come into contact with sick birds, but health authorities fear it could mutate into a form that is able to spread from person to person, possibly sparking a global flu pandemic.
The disease has killed at least 92 people, mostly in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization.
More cases of H5N1 strain of bird flu detected
Oana Dan
Preliminary tests have indicated several new cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in domestic fowl in eastern and southern regions of the country, authorities said Friday.
In one case the national laboratory in Bucharest detected the virus in samples from several dead chickens on two household farms in the southern village of Morteni, some 80 kilometers west of the capital, said Grigore Mertoiu, who heads the local animal health agency.
Authorities quarantined the village and have already culled more than 1,000 domestic fowl.
In the country's east, the national lab reported cases of infected hens, turkeys, geese and other birds in five villages. And in the eastern city of Buzau, the H5N1 strain was found in a wild goose.
However, authorities decided to relax the quarantine in several localities in Constanta County, allowing people to move around in the county, saying that the culling of birds was successful and the risk of the virus re-appearing is very small.
Today, agriculture officials from five states in the Black Sea region are to meet in Bucharest to discuss joint actions to combat the spreading of the bird flu virus.
Representatives from Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey are to reconvene with Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur and tackle the issue of prevention of the spreading of the deadly strain at animals and humans.
The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain was first detected in the Danube Delta in October. There have been more than 30 outbreaks in small villages in Romania since then, forcing authorities to cull more than 150,000 domestic birds as a precaution.
There have been no reported human cases of bird flu in Romania until now. The virus has a limited ability to infect humans who come into contact with sick birds, but health authorities fear it could mutate into a form that is able to spread from person to person, possibly sparking a global flu pandemic.
The disease has killed at least 92 people, mostly in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization.