Re: Romania - Bird flu Found at Poultry Farm
Re: Romania - Bird flu Found at Poultry Farm
EC: Romania reports bird flu outbreak
17.03.10 | by:
Olivia Urban | in:
homenews
The first case confirmed on a farm in Letea. EC says it?s the first in a year.
Romania has identified an outbreak of bird flu at a poultry farm and taken steps to control its spread, the European Union?s executive said on Tuesday. ?The Commission adopted today a decision confirming the risk area set up by the Romanian authorities in relation to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a backyard poultry farm,? a European Commission statement said. The outbreak happened in the commune of Letea in Tulcea County at the Danube?s Delta close to the Ukrainian border, it added.
This is, according to EC data, the first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in Europe for a year.
The outbreak, in Tulcea County, close to the Ukrainian border, was discovered on Monday and prompted immediate security measures, the EU?s executive arm said in a statement. These include the killing of all poultry in the infected farm and the establishment of a three kilometre (two mile) protection zone and a wider ?surveillance zone? around the farm with strict controls on movements in or out.
Health Ministry adviser Geza Molnar said veterinarians have counted 49 dead birds at Letea and that the area is under surveillance, Mediafax reports.
Avian influenza or ?bird flu? is a highly contagious viral disease which primarily affects birds, but on rare occasions can also be contracted by humans and other mammals.
The strain of avian influenza which is currently causing concern is the highly pathogenic H5N1 which has affected many countries worldwide, including parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. H5N1 can spread rapidly through poultry flocks and wild birds are considered to be contributing to its spread around the globe. It does not jump easily from birds to humans. However around 290 people have died of the human form of avian flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.
The Romanian case is the first detection of the highly avian influenza H5N1 in the European Union in a year. The last case, confirmed in March 2009, was discovered in a wild duck shot during a hunt near Starnberg, in Bavaria, Germany.
On Sunday at least 117,000 chickens were destroyed in northern Bangladesh after an avian flu outbreak on one of the country?s largest poultry farm.
In December 2007, the last avian flu viral area in Romania was closed at Murighol, Tulcea, and official virus wipe-out was confirmed in December that year.
Authorities say no dangers for population
Marian Zlotea, Veterinarian and Food Safety Authority head on Tuesday said there was no immediate danger regarding a bird flu outbreak. He said that, after taking all precautions, no new cases were reported yesterday.
?We have finished applying necessary measures on March 14, and there has been no sign of influenza since then,? Zlotea said. In his turn, geza Molnar, Health Ministry advisor said there is no real danger for the humans. ?No one in the world has managed to prove bird flu is transmitted to humans, by now.? Molnar also said the people in the area were instructed to take all precautions with their poultry, so they know not to touch dead birds, and not to allow their children contact with infected birds.?
The Public Health service has dispatched a medic in the area, to ensure emergency assistance. :tiphat:
http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?issue=4641&page=detalii&categorie=homenews&id=20100317-12698 Nine O'Clock Special, PDF
said Geza Molnar, quoted by Mediafax. He added that authorities have recommended people "not to approach the dead birds, wild birds in the area, to not allow the birds in the courtyard to enter the house and children not to play with carrions. 
