Bird flu reaches EU as Greece finds virus

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Bird flu reaches EU as Greece finds virus

 

 

Reuters

Monday, October 17, 2005; 12:29 PM

 

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Monday it had detected one turkey

with bird flu on the eastern Aegean island of Chios, becoming the

first EU country where the virus has spread to.

 

" The Center for Veterinary Institutes has informed us that one of nine

poultry samples has tested positive to bird flu (H5) antibodies, " the

agriculture ministry said in a statement.

 

 

The ministry said the turkey came from a small private poultry farm of

about 20 turkeys on the tiny island of Inousses off Chios which

belongs to the Chios prefecture.

 

It said it was running further tests to " to verify the correctness of

the analysis. "

 

Government officials said there was no need to cull any of the other

birds.

 

" There has been no order for the culling of birds in the area, " a

high-level government official told Reuters.

 

" It was a small farm with about 20 turkeys. But any transport of

birds, people, vehicles and eggs has been forbidden. "

 

" The final confirmation will be made by the special laboratory in

Thessaloniki (northern Greece) where special tests will take place. "

 

The official said the government's emergency response plan had been

activated.

 

Neighboring Turkey, only a few miles off Chios, has also detected

cases of bird flu as well as Romania, both of which have culled

thousands of birds in the past days.