October 13, 2005

EU confirms bird flu in Romania

The EU and Romania's chief vet Ion Agafitei have confirmed the presence of bird flu in the country, marking the first case of bird flu reported in Europe.

Samples from the three ducks suspected with the disease have tested positive for the H5 type of virus, Dr. Agafitei announced. However, it was not yet clear whether the exact strain was a low-pathogenic one or the deadly H5N1 strain that has hit Asia.

The EU said it would ban imports of Romanian live birds and poultry products.

Meanwhile, the EU has banned live birds and feathers from Turkey, which was also recently hit by bird flu.

While the H5 type of bird flu was also detected in Turkey, further tests were still required to confirm the exact strain, Turkish scientists said.

Turkish farm minister Mehdi Eker tried to dispel public fears, saying the disease was an isolated incident and under control. The government would also continue to monitor the situation very closely.