site.btaBulgarian Food Safety Agency Declares Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pazardzhik Region

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) has declared an outbreak of Avian influenza (bird flu) in the southern village of Glavinitsa near Pazardzhik, southern Bulgaria. Some 248 laying hens are being examined at the breeding site, the BFSA said on Wednesday.

The virus was detected during an inspection of a 10-kilometre surveillance zone set up around the bird flu outbreak registered in the village of Malo Konare, also near Pazardzhik, on October 26, 2023.

BFSA Executive Director Svetlozar Patarinski has issued an order to cull the sick and contact birds on the premises.

A 3-kilometre protection zone has been established around the affected breeding site, which includes Glavinitsa, Aleko Konstantinovo, Mokrishte and Pazardzhik.

A 10-kilometre surveillance zone has been set up in Pazardzhik Municipality, which includes Zvanichevo, Lyahovo, Patalenitsa, Tsrancha, Bratanitsa, Debrashtitsa, Ognyanovo, Sinitovo, Miryantsi, Malo Konare, Dobrovnitsa, Dragor, Ivaylo, Saraya, Yunatsite, and the Peshtera municipality villages of Kapitan Dimitrievo and Radilovo.

An epizootic survey and monitoring of the movements of poultry and other birds, eggs, poultry feed, products, and animal by-products derived therefrom, and of the means of transport related to the technological process in the establishments will be carried out.

Poultry meat and produce in establishments where a bird flu outbreak has been detected do not pose a risk to human health, BFSA said.