March 6, 2006

Dead fowls in Portugal to be tested for bird flu

Portuguese authorities found some 400 dead chickens in a central town, but there was no indication that they died from bird flu, officials said Sunday (Mar 5).

They were found late Saturday stuffed in feed bags on a cliff in Sever do Vouga, town hall president Edgar Jorge Silva said.

He speculated that a local farmer may have disposed of them, adding that residents alerted authorities to a horrible stench in the area.

A veterinarian was called to the scene to investigate and an environmental team was dispatched to remove the fowls. Tests will be conducted on the dead chickens, authorities said.