October 19, 2005

Macedonia to further test dead poultry in UK

Macedonia will send a sample of poultry found dead in the south of the country on Oct 15, to Britain for further bird flu testing, the Macedonian Veterinary Administration said on Oct 18.

About 40 samples of the dead birds found in the village of Mogila in the Bitola district, had been tested for bird flu.

While most of the samples only indicated that the poultry were infected with Newcastle disease, one sample had a different result and thus would be sent to Britain for further testing, the Veterinary Administration Director Slobodan Cokrevski said.

The authorities have also taken measures to protect about 500 households in Mogila, such as by slaughtering poultry suspected to be infected with bird flu and zoning the affected from disease-free areas, Cokrevski revealed.