Bird Flu Center

The first occurrence of the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus has been confirmed in the Netherlands. Two young owls were recently found dead in a zoo in Rotterdam and subsequent testing of samples from the birds revealed they were infected with the deadly disease. A routine test done by the Wild Life Health Center first found early traces of the virus. Later a specialized laboratory confirmed the result. The zoo has not been closed and will remain open, but with restrictions set in place to protect, visitors, staff, as well as other animals kept there. The source of the virus is unknown, but it is reported that staff members have been given prophylactic medication by health authorities.

ollowing the discovery of bird flu traces on a Dutch farm last week, several countries have chosen to ban imports of poultry from the country. The virus found was a low pathogenic strain of avian influenza and authorities now say no new cases have been discovered in the last days. Therefore measures have been eased and activity is now again allowed at the farm, but in a safe perimeter set up in its vicinity. The countries that imposed partial of complete bans are Russia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Last week 25,000 chickens were culled at the farm, to contain the virus, while other 130 farms were sealed for further testing. The European country is one of the world’s top poultry producing and exporting countries. The virus detected now is nowhere near as dangerous as the one the Dutch faced in 2003, but measures still needed to be taken to prevent it from mutating into a more aggressive form.

A low pathogenic form of bird flu virus has been found on a poultry farm in the Dutch region of Gelderse Vallei, as the agriculture ministry reported on Tuesday. Although the strain is believed to be much less dangerous than the one which caused the 2003 outbreak, the farm has been closed and  health authorities are monitoring the area. The Netherlands is one of the world’s biggest poultry exporters and Europe’s second biggest producer, behind France. Authorities say the virus is not an H5 variant, but have not disclosed any other details. In 2003 the Netherlands was hit by an H7N7 avian influenza epidemic. 30 million birds were culled as a result (about a third of the Dutch poultry population). 90 people were also infected, and a veterinarian even died. Migratory birds are believed to be at the heart of this outbreak, as was the case with the 2003 disease.