site.btaAnother Bird Flu Outbreak Detected in NE Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said on Monday that another bird flu outbreak has been detected in a poultry farm in General Toshevo, northeastern Bulgaria. The virus was detected after the owner alerted the authorities about increased mortality among the birds. The farm raises around 129,000 egg-laying hens.

Measures have been put in place to control the outbreak. Actions will be taken to cull the sick and contact birds on the premises.

A 3-kilometre protection zone has been established around the affected site, together with a 10-kilometre surveillance zone.

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

Poultry meat and products coming from a farm where an outbreak of avian influenza has been detected do not pose a risk to human health, provided that the hygiene rules for food handling are observed, the Agency said.