July 12, 2007

H5N1 bird flu found at two more Czech Republic poultry farms

The deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has been found at another two poultry farms in the Czech Republic, an official said Wednesday (July 11).

Authorities confirmed the strain was present at two chicken farms in Chocen and Netreby, about 87 miles east of Prague, said Josef Duben, the country's veterinary authority spokesman.

Duben said the farms were located within a 2-mile surveillance zone set around two poultry farms where H5N1 was found last month.

The tests were conducted by a reference laboratory in Prague.

More than 70,000 chickens at the two farms will be slaughtered, Duben said.

Last year, H5N1 was found in 14 birds - all wild swans - in the Czech Republic. Another swan tested positive last month.