Romania, first EU country to confirm avian flue centre in the last year

The European Commission announced on Tuesday it had adopted a decision confirming the risk region established by the Romanian authorities around a poultry farm in the town of Letea, Tulcea county (South-East), where the avian flu virus H5N1 has been confirmed, Euractiv.ro informs, quoting a European Commission communiqué.

According to he EC communiqué, the National laboratory in Romania confirmed on Monday the presence of the highly pathogenic virus of the avian flu H5N1, in Letea town. In order to limit the spreading of the virus, the Romanian authorities have enforced control measures entailed by the EU legislation. All the birds from the farm have been killed and a protection zone 3 kilometres wide has been set up. The monitored area is 10 kilometres wide.

The 10-kilometer wide area is considered to have „high risk” and is surrounded by a reduced risk area, for which transport control measures and bio-security for poultry farms have been enforced.

This is the first avian flu case recorded in the European Union in a year. The last case has been confirmed in March 2009 in Germany, found in a wild duck.