March 16, 2006

Denmark takes measures to stem possible bird flu outbreak

Danish authorities Wednesday (March 15) said they are cordoning off the area in which a common buzzard was found dead and establishing strict regulations on animal transport and care.

Government authorities and local police are setting up a restricted area with a radius of three kilometres from where the bird was found on the southern part of the island of Zealand, on which Copenhagen is located.

Tests have so far indicated the bird died of bird flu, but Danish authorities said they don't know definitively it was the H5N1 virus.

Further testing is ongoing, and if the virus is believed to be H5N1, it will be send to the EU's laboratory in the UK for final confirmation, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said.

In the meantime, the agency said all poultry within the restricted area must be registered with authorities and kept indoors. The agency will review all flocks within the zone, and all transport of poultry, poultry products and eggs into and out of the zone is prohibited until further notice.

Additionally, neither the transport nor outdoor distribution of animal feed is allowed, and all hunting is prohibited. The agency also urged farmers to take exceptional steps to ensure their flocks aren't infected, including thorough cleaning and disinfection of footwear before entering the areas where the flocks are.

The agency also urged homeowners in the area to keep their cats indoors and to walk their dogs on leases. They advised against feeding wild animals.