Bird Flu in Europe
EUROPE: March 2, 2006


March 1 - Switzerland has confirmed its first case of the deadly H5N1 avian flu strain in a bird found last week in Geneva, the Federal Veterinary Office said on Wednesday.

 


Following is the latest information about the status of bird flu and some measures taken in Europe:

AUSTRIA - Austria confirmed H5N1 in two chickens and three ducks in an animal sanctuary in Graz.

BOSNIA - Bosnia said tests had confirmed its first case of H5N1 in two swans. Bosnia has banned hunting wild fowl, ordered all poultry kept indoors.

BULGARIA - Bulgaria announced H5N1 found in a wild swan in wetland near Romania. On Feb 16, the EU banned imports of poultry and products from Bulgaria.

CROATIA - Croatia confirmed H5N1 on a dead swan on Ciovo island, off the largest coastal city of Split. A second bird has been found with H5 near Trogir in the southern Adriatic. More tests were being carried out.

FRANCE - France, Europe's biggest poultry producer, has confirmed the first outbreak of H5N1 at a farm in the European Union. The news has prompted 43 countries to announce a partial or total embargo on poultry imports from France.

GERMANY - Germans in areas hit by bird flu have been told to keep their cats indoors and their dogs leashed after the discovery of a dead cat infected with H5N1.

- More than 100 wild birds, mostly on the Baltic island of Ruegen, have tested positive for H5N1 since it first reached Germany on Feb 14. Germany has a ban on poultry outdoors.

GREECE - Greece has reported 17 cases of H5N1 in the country. Poultry sales have collapsed.

HUNGARY - Hungary confirmed new cases of bird flu - yet to be confirmed as H5N1 - in a dead mallard and a gull found near Budapest, and in two dead swans in the south. It has confirmed eight cases of H5N1.

ITALY - Italian poultry producers said demand for chicken meat had plummeted by 70 percent since news that H5N1 virus had been found in swans in the south of the country.

NETHERLANDS - The Netherlands has secured EU approval to vaccinate backyard poultry and free-range laying hens, most at risk of contact with wild birds, throughout the country. It has also extended its order to keep poultry indoors to the whole country. NORWAY - Norway ordered chickens and turkeys kept indoors.

ROMANIA - Romania said it had found new cases of H5N1 in domestic birds in the village of Topalu, in the south-east. Avian flu has been detected in 35 villages and a small Black Sea resort across the country.

RUSSIA - Bird flu has been registered in wild fowl in six regions of southern Russia and in domestic fowl in four of these regions. More than half a million chickens were culled in Russia this year after new cases of H5N1 were discovered in domestic fowl in Dagestan.

SLOVAKIA - Slovakia's first cases of H5N1 have been confirmed by tests on two birds.

SLOVENIA - The number of wild birds with H5N1 virus found in the country rose to 20 after the virus was detected in another two swans. So far H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in 19 swans and 1 grey heron. All birds were found near the city of Maribor in northeastern Slovenia close to the Austrian border.

SWEDEN - Sweden said it had detected its first cases of an aggressive form of bird flu, likely to be confirmed as H5N1 in two wild birds near the southeastern port of Oskarshamn. Sweden has ordered farmers to keep chickens and turkeys indoors.

SWITZERLAND - Switzerland confirmed its first case of H5N1 in a bird found in Geneva. Switzerland has ordered a nationwide poultry lock-up.

TURKEY - Of a total 106 locations around Turkey where bird flu has been confirmed since late December, 66 are still under quarantine. 2.27 million poultry have been culled to date.

UKRAINE - Ukraine has begun testing several types of vaccine for H5N1 but will take no decision on mass vaccination of poultry pending the results. More than 200,000 birds have been destroyed in Ukraine since H5N1 was discovered last year.

 


REUTERS NEWS SERVICE