April 27, 2006

Switzerland lifts ban on free range poultry

The Swiss government said Wednesday (Apr 26) that it would lift a ban on keeping poultry outdoors, as the risk of bird flu spreading in domestic fowl had decreased.

The ban on free-range poultry expires May 1, Switzerland's governing Federal Council said. There have been no cases of bird flu in the country so far this month, and most migratory birds have returned north, it said.

In February, the government ordered that all farm birds be kept in roofed enclosures with grilled walls to prevent the spreading of bird flu, after wild birds infected with the virus were found in neighbouring countries such as Italy and Germany.

Nine birds have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in Switzerland since February, but the virus has not spread to poultry.