Georgia: Poultry

[Bruce]

Georgian tests confirm bird flu

24/02/2006 - 16:42:03

A health official said today that a local laboratory confirmed bird flu in dead fowl in Georgia.

Officials were awaiting confirmation from a British laboratory on the exact strain.

Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said tests were conducted on the remains of 10 swans found dead on a lake shore in the Adzharia region of southwest Georgia, which borders Turkey and the Black Sea.

David Mekhishvili, administration chief of the Labour, Health and Social Welfare Ministry, told Rustavi-2 television: ?Unfortunately, bird flu has been confirmed. But like all other countries, we, too, are required to send analyses to London ? for confirmation.?

The chief of the Agriculture Ministry?s veterinary department, Dzhambul Maglakelidze, said the British lab results should make clear whether the suspected bird flu strain in Georgia is H5N1.

H5N1 can be fatal to humans. It has killed at least four children in Turkey and has been identified in birds in Azerbaijan, which borders Georgia to the east.

The Georgian government today banned all trade in live birds on its territory and instructed the country?s police to enforce the prohibition, Nogaideli said

http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=74399210&p=743995yz&n=74399590

[Bruce]

Georgia: Bird Flu Confirmed

Georgia confirms bird flu
10.21AM, Mon Feb 27 2006

Georgia has found the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in wild swans, the head of the veterinary department at Georgia's Agriculture Ministry said.
"A laboratory in Georgia has established (the existence of) the H5N1 bird flu virus," Jambul Maglakelidze told reporters.
This discovery comes hard on the heels of the announcement made by Switzerland, confirming their first case of the disease.
The outbreak of avian flu was found in a wild duck on the shores of Geneva, near the city's famous jet d'eau fountain.
Switzerland has been on high alert for bird flu since the virus emerged in neighbours France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
The country this month ordered all poultry be kept indoors for an indefinite period to lessen the risk from the fast-spreading H5N1 virus that has killed millions of birds.

http://www.itv.com/news/world_1261038.html

[Bruce]

Re: Georgia confirms bird flu

Russian military base in Georgia reports bird flu

MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - A Russian military base in Georgia has reported instances of bird flu.
"Migrant birds were found dead on the Gonio training range, which the Russian 12th Military Base shares [with Georgia]. The deaths resulted from bird flu," a representative of the base command told Interfax by phone from Batumi on Monday.
The official said Russian facilities on the training range had been disinfected.
"The base personnel have been informed about bird flu safety rules. Medics are examining servicemen," he said.
The training range is situated in the Khelvachauri district of Ajaria, where a bird flu emergency was declared on Sunday until October 1.

http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11470797