Croatia Reports Bird Flu in Farm Poultry

W460

Croatia on Friday announced the discovery of a highly contagious strain of bird flu in poultry at a small family farm on the country's northern border with Hungary.

The H5N8 strain of bird flu, detected at a farm in the village of Kriznica on the Drava river, killed all 15 chickens and ducks raised there, an agriculture ministry statement said.

The village is home to 22 small farms raising poultry, it said.

But as it is located between the Drava and the border, there is no risk that the virus will spread, the ministry added.

Precautionary measures were nonetheless brought in.

"A ban on the movement of people, animals and vehicles was introduced in the area of infection," the statement said.

All poultry in the village will be culled later on Friday.

The H5N8 strain can spread quickly in affected farms, often leading to the culling of thousands of birds.

Since October, the strain has been detected in 14 other European countries including Britain, France and Germany.

Hungary has had the highest number of outbreaks in the past three months, with 201 cases reported in farms and four in wild birds.

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