France to cull 600,000 ducks

Paris: French authorities will cull 600,000 ducks in the Landes region due to bird flu, the Agriculture Minister said on Tuesday. Speaking about the radical measure in an interview, Stephane Le Foll said the virus had spread from the east to the west of Landes and the goal was to try and stabilise the situation, Efe news reported.

SW China province reports two H7N9 cases

Two human H7N9 avian flu cases were reported Tuesday in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, bringing the number of infections in the province this year to eight, including two fatalities. Both patients had contact with live poultry and no symptoms have been observed among those in close contact with them, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

China battling bird flu surge

Authorities have closed live poultry markets across the country in an attempt to slow down the spread of the deadly virus. The ban was implemented after a woman in her twneties and her young daughter both died after coming in contact with live poultry, the New York Times reported.

Cull has started at site of bird flu outbreak at Redgrave

The cull, which follows an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu at the breeding rearer farm for broiler chickens, is being done by gassing over the next couple of days using equipment which has been transported to the site. A spokesman for the Animal and Health Plant Agency, which is overseeing the humane cull, said the catchers were being kitted up and undergoing their health and safety briefing this morning.

Cull set to begin at site of bird flu outbreak at Redgrave

The cull, which follows an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu at the breeding rearer farm for broiler chickens, will be done by gassing over the next couple of days using equipment which has been transported to the site. A spokesman for the Animal and Health Plant Agency, which is overseeing the humane cull, said the catchers were being kitted up and undergoing their health and safety briefing this morning.

Poultry club chairman says news of suspected bird flu outbreak is a “constant worry”

The chairman of a poultry club has spoken of her fears following a suspected bird flu outbreak near the Norfolk-Suffolk border. The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Poultry Club, which has its headquarters at Grange Farm in Barsham, near Beccles, holds three shows a year, and cancelled its spring show which was due to be held on Sunday after news of the outbreak first came to light.

Focus on beefing up bird flu defense as cases rise

A significant number of H7N9 avian flu cases reported across the border has prompted the SAR government to hold a cross-departmental meeting this week to discuss measures to keep the threat at bay, said health chief Ko Wing-man.Heyuan city in Guangdong reported its first case of H7N9 this year while Beijing reported its first imported case. The total number of cases in Guangdong reportedly grew t… A significant number of H7N9 avian flu cases reported across the border has prompted the SAR government to hold a cross-departmental meeting this week to discuss measures to keep the threat at bay, said health chief Ko Wing-man.

Bosnia reports first case of H5N8 bird flu

Bosnia reported its first case of bird flu on Sunday, after the H5N8 strain was detected at a hen farm in the northwestern town of Prijedor. The authorities took measures to contain the outbreak of the disease and banned visits to the farm, the state-owned Srna news agency reported citing the agriculture ministry of Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic, where the farm is located.

Poultry farmers are left reeling

A decision by the European Commission not to extend the free-range exemption for those who have been forced to house their flocks as a result of bird flu outbreaks, has been criticised by two of Northern Ireland’s MEPs. EU rules mean that the eggs and meat from birds kept indoors through housing orders beyond this 12 week period lose their free range status.

South Korea culls 33 million poultry amid worst H5N6 bird flu outbreak

Facing its worst avian influenza outbreak, South Korea has culled more than 33 million poultry since the first reported case last November, officials said Saturday, while observers noted local resources to deal with the deadliest outbreak may have already been stretched too thin. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the country has culled 33.12 million animals as of Friday.

Bird Flu restrictions set to be extended in Hampshire

Bird flu restrictions are likely to be extended in Hampshire after it was deemed a ‘higher risk area’ by a government department. Prevention zones, aimed at stopping the spread of the disease, were due to be in place until February 28, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said restrictions will remain in place in some areas.

Poultry set to roam again after bird flu curbs are lifted

Poultry owners will soon be allowed to keep their birds outside again as restrictions to limit the spread of bird flu are lifted. An avian influenza prevention zone was declared on December 6, forcing owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors or to take steps to separate them from wild birds.

Poultry set to roam again after bird flu curbs are lifted

Poultry owners will soon be allowed to keep their birds outside again as restrictions to limit the spread of bird flu are lifted. An avian influenza prevention zone was declared on December 6, forcing owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors or to take steps to separate them from wild birds.

More culling in Japan after bird flu strain detected

Tokyo, Feb 5 – Authorities in Japan’s Saga province have begun culling more chickens after detecting a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu in dead birds at a farm, the media reported on Sunday. The culling began late Saturday, after the presence of a subtype of the H5 virus was detected at a farm in Kohoku locality.

Avian Flu Outbreaks Raise Concerns About Possible Pandemic

An avian flu outbreak in the U.K. is just the latest to erupt across the globe, worrying health experts about the possibility that the virus could become more widespread. On Thursday, U.K. officials confirmed a fifth area in the country has been hit with the H5N8 strain of the avian flu since December.

UK confirms two more cases of bird flu on turkey and pheasant farms

British authorities say they have confirmed two more bird flu cases on farms in northern and eastern England, meaning there are now four areas where restrictions are in place across the country to reduce the spread of the disease. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said it had confirmed a case of H5N8 avian flu in a flock of about 1,000 pheasants at a farm in Wyre, Lancashire, in northern England on Friday.

Minnesota poultry farmers warily watch bird flu outbreaks

Minnesota Public Radio reports that the World Health Organization is on “high alert” because the virus has been found in 40 countries around the world since last fall and is spreading quickly. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, says the spring waterfowl migration will increase the risk of the virus coming to Minnesota.

Importation ban on due to H5 HPAI Outbreak

… and importation of meat products of poultry is subject to the conditions provided in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Latest issues of Sun.Star Baguio also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital …

Fears over bird flu in China after 9 deaths this year

Nine people have died of bird flu in China this year, state media reported Wednesday, after the World Health Organization urged all countries to promptly report human infections. Disease control centres in three provinces including northern Henan, central Hunan, and southern Guangdong have reported at least nine deaths from the virus, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

2 cases of bird flu found in Bangladesh

Bangladesh discovered two outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry last week, according to reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health and a senior Bangladeshi health ministry official on Monday. A first case was found at a poultry farm in Dhamrai, just outside the capital, Dhaka.

Watch Out for Bird Flu, WHO Says

The World Health Organization called on all countries to closely monitor outbreaks of deadly avian influenza in birds and to report promptly any human cases that could signal the start of a flu pandemic. Different strains of bird flu have been spreading across Europe and Asia since late last year, leading to large-scale slaughters of poultry in affected countries and some human deaths in China.

13:31 Kazakhstan confirms H5 bird flu in wild swans

Kazakhstan has confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious H5 bird flu virus in wild swans, by the Caspian Sea, reports Aljazeera. The World Organization for Animal Health , citing a report from the Kazakh agriculture ministry, said on Friday that two swans were found dead in the coastal city of Aktau in the west of the country.