Bird Flu Found in Romania’s Capital

BUCHAREST, May 20

Romanian veterinary authorities confirmed that the bird flu virus has been found in Bucharest City in districts 2 and 4, which have been placed under quarantine, Bucharest general mayor Adriean Videanu told MEDIAFAX Saturday.

Videanu said curfew and culling measures have been taken in Andronache area in district 2 and in Giurgiu area in district 4 where the bird flu virus has been confirmed.

The veterinary authorities said they currently monitor 417 households in district 2 and 232 households in district 4

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Authorities in central and northern Romania reported two suspected outbreaks of bird flu after two districts of the capital Bucharest were sealed off pending tests on birds there.
A laboratory in Bucharest "confirmed the presence of the H5 virus" in three chickens found dead on an urban farmyard in the popular tourist city of Sibiu in central Romania, city council spokesman Dorin Teodorescu told the Mediafax news agency.
Teodorescu said that police checkpoints had been set up in the affected area and that poultry in the city were being slaughtered.
The other new outbreak of bird flu was in a small farm in the Neamt region in northern Romania.
The head of the local sanitary services, Sorin Ulea, said that preliminary tests had confirmed the presence of the virus.
Earlier on Saturday, Bucharest's head of veterinary services said the districts of Andronache and Luica, home to 2,000 people, were being quarantined, with traffic diverted and disinfection measures put in place.
Both are semi-rural areas, on the northeastern and southern edges of the capital respectively.
Mayor Adriean Videanu said late on Friday there were an estimated 50,000 farm birds in the capital. "We are very seriously considering banning breeding," he added.
Romanian Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur said on Friday that the bird flu virus had continued to spread across the country.
Speaking on Romanian television, he said 20 outbreaks had been confirmed over the past week, bringing the number of localities affected to more than 60.
He also reported two "possible" cases on farms on the outskirts of Bucharest, where all poultry had been slaughtered.
An additional 26 sites were being investigated for possible contamination.
"Samples from a dozen of these sites have been sent to the British laboratory in Weybridge," Flutur said earlier on Friday, referring to the European Union's reference laboratory for bird flu tests.
"We expect results early next week that will tell us whether the strain is especially lethal."
Earlier on Saturday, the governor of the eastern region of Bacau also said bird flu had been confirmed in three localities, and test results sent to Bucharest for verification.
The highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu can be transmitted to humans and is potentially fatal. More than 70 outbreaks have been recorded in Romania since October last year, but so far no human has been infected. — AFP
Authorities in central and northern Romania reported two suspected outbreaks of bird flu after two districts of the capital Bucharest were sealed off pending tests on birds there.
A laboratory in Bucharest "confirmed the presence of the H5 virus" in three chickens found dead on an urban farmyard in the popular tourist city of Sibiu in central Romania, city council spokesman Dorin Teodorescu told the Mediafax news agency.
Teodorescu said that police checkpoints had been set up in the affected area and that poultry in the city were being slaughtered.
The other new outbreak of bird flu was in a small farm in the Neamt region in northern Romania.
The head of the local sanitary services, Sorin Ulea, said that preliminary tests had confirmed the presence of the virus.
Earlier on Saturday, Bucharest's head of veterinary services said the districts of Andronache and Luica, home to 2,000 people, were being quarantined, with traffic diverted and disinfection measures put in place.
Both are semi-rural areas, on the northeastern and southern edges of the capital respectively.
Mayor Adriean Videanu said late on Friday there were an estimated 50,000 farm birds in the capital. "We are very seriously considering banning breeding," he added.
Romanian Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur said on Friday that the bird flu virus had continued to spread across the country.
Speaking on Romanian television, he said 20 outbreaks had been confirmed over the past week, bringing the number of localities affected to more than 60.
He also reported two "possible" cases on farms on the outskirts of Bucharest, where all poultry had been slaughtered.
An additional 26 sites were being investigated for possible contamination.
"Samples from a dozen of these sites have been sent to the British laboratory in Weybridge," Flutur said earlier on Friday, referring to the European Union's reference laboratory for bird flu tests.
"We expect results early next week that will tell us whether the strain is especially lethal."
Earlier on Saturday, the governor of the eastern region of Bacau also said
Authorities in central and northern Romania reported two suspected outbreaks of bird flu after two districts of the capital Bucharest were sealed off pending tests on birds there.
A laboratory in Bucharest "confirmed the presence of the H5 virus" in three chickens found dead on an urban farmyard in the popular tourist city of Sibiu in central Romania, city council spokesman Dorin Teodorescu told the Mediafax news agency.
Teodorescu said that police checkpoints had been set up in the affected area and that poultry in the city were being slaughtered.
The other new outbreak of bird flu was in a small farm in the Neamt region in northern Romania.
The head of the local sanitary services, Sorin Ulea, said that preliminary tests had confirmed the presence of the virus.
Earlier on Saturday, Bucharest's head of veterinary services said the districts of Andronache and Luica, home to 2,000 people, were being quarantined, with traffic diverted and disinfection measures put in place.
Both are semi-rural areas, on the northeastern and southern edges of the capital respectively.
Mayor Adriean Videanu said late on Friday there were an estimated 50,000 farm birds in the capital. "We are very seriously considering banning breeding," he added.
Romanian Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur said on Friday that the bird flu virus had continued to spread across the country.
Speaking on Romanian television, he said 20 outbreaks had been confirmed over the past week, bringing the number of localities affected to more than 60.
He also reported two "possible" cases on farms on the outskirts of Bucharest, where all poultry had been slaughtered.
An additional 26 sites were being investigated for possible contamination.
"Samples from a dozen of these sites have been sent to the British laboratory in Weybridge," Flutur said earlier on Friday, referring to the European Union's reference laboratory for bird flu tests.
"We expect results early next week that will tell us whether the strain is especially lethal."
Earlier on Saturday, the governor of the eastern region of Bacau also said bird flu had been confirmed in three localities, and test results sent to Bucharest for verification.
The highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu can be transmitted to humans and is potentially fatal. More than 70 outbreaks have been recorded in Romania since October last year, but so far no human has been infected. — AFP

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