OREANDA-NEWS. The presence of avian influenza or bird flu (H5N8) has been identified in several European countries in recent days. In Hungary, a new outbreak occurred at a duck farm in Kiskunmajsa. In the interests of preventing the spread of the disease, the animal health service began cunning the livestock based on the suspicion of infection; the state will provide compensation.

On 9 November the National Food Chain Safety Office’s laboratory detected the presence of the bird flu virus in a large duck farm in the B?cs-Kiskun County town of Kiskunmajsa. Increased mortality was observed in the infected poultry as well as clinical symptoms characteristic of the disease. The authority took the required action immediately. A quarantine zone was established in a 3km radius surrounding the infected farm and the authority ordered a 10km observation area. In the interests of preventing the spread of disease, the animal health service began culling the poultry based on the suspicion of infection.

The detected serotype (H5N8) is the same strain of the virus as detected at a turkey farm in Békés County on 3 November 2016. In view of the probability that wild birds could act as mediators in spreading the disease, as soon as the threat became apparent on 3 November Chief Veterinarian Dr. Lajos Bognár ordered that poultry stocks throughout the country must be fed and kept in premises that are fully covered, including from the side if possible.