Belgium reports bird flu outbreak on farm - OIE (updated)
30/03/2022 17:32
(Adds background)
PARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - Belgium has reported a new
outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, commonly
called bird flu, on a poultry farm, just as it was hoping to
regain the status of being free from the disease.
Europe has seen fresh outbreaks of bird flu in recent weeks,
led by France where veterinary services have had a hard time
containing the highly contagious virus.
The Belgian outbreak, which would be the first this year,
was detected in Tielt, not far from France, the World
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday.
It killed 193 birds and led to the slaughter of the rest of
the flock of nearly 19,000 animals, the Paris-based body said,
quoting information from Belgian authorities.
An application for the recovery of Belgium's status of being
free from highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry was
submitted on March 17 and is currently under review by the OIE,
Belgium's agency for the safety of the food chain FASFC said on
its website.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by
Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
((Sybille.deLaHamaide@thomsonreuters.com; +336 8774 4148;))