October 24, 2005

 

Tests show Romanian heron has bird flu strain
 

 

A heron has tested positive for an H5 strain of bird flu in eastern Romania near the border with Moldova, officials said Friday. Samples were being tested to determine whether it is the lethal H5N1 strain.

 

The bird was found near the village of Falciu, said Ioan Zaharia, the local government representative in Vaslui County. Falciu is about 100 kilometres north of Cearmulia de Jos, a Danube delta town where domestic flocks were found infected with H5N1.

 

Authorities have killed all domestic fowl in the Ceamurlia de Jos and Maliuc areas, which remain under quarantine.

 

"It's possible that the bird came from Moldova and we may not have a new outbreak here," Zaharia said. He said he ordered all domestic birds to be kept indoors to avoid contact with migratory birds, some of which are believed to carry the virus.

 

Zaharia said he also ordered all local live animal markets be closed indefinitely.

 

If H5N1 strain is confirmed it would be the first time in Romania that it would be found in birds outside the delta area, a large wetland reservation where up to one million migratory birds arrive each year from Russia and other regions.

 

Officials said the heron was probably migrating toward the delta region.

 

"Migratory birds use a wide path in their movement ... they also come down on rivers that are adjacent to the delta," said Gabriel Predoi, who heads the national Agency for Animal Health. He said authorities would step up the monitoring of birds in the surrounding area.

 

Meanwhile, authorities in central Romania revived an old tradition of hiring people to walk through the streets banging drums and crying out orders to keep fowl inside as a precaution.

 

Priests have also been enlisted to inform the public about bird flu and measures to prevent its spread.

 

Authorities have issued fines to farmers who have not complied with the orders to keep fowl inside. Several mayors and local veterinarians were also fined for failing to inform the public about measures to prevent bird flu.