Economy 3 October 2024, 9:48am

Bird flu detected in Hungarian poultry - 25,000 broiler ducks had to be culled

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Just a few days after the first cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, were confirmed in wild birds in Hungary, the laboratory of the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has detected the presence of avian influenza in domestic poultry. The culling of 25,000 broiler ducks in Békés county is ongoing. The severity of the outbreak will depend to a large extent on the discipline of livestock farmers and their continued and consistent compliance with disease control rules.

The Nébih laboratory detected the H5N1 subtype of the avian influenza virus in Füzesgyarmat, Békés county.

At the broiler duck farm, which has around 25,000 ducks, a drop in feed and water consumption, nervous symptoms and increased mortality have raised suspicions among farmers.

The culling of the flocks concerned is in progress. The broiler ducks of two other farms with epidemiological links to the farm in question are also being culled. The authority has established a protection zone of 3 km radius and a surveillance zone of 10 km radius around the farm.