EU hopeful no bird flu in Romania, testing Turkey
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The European Commission is hopeful there is no outbreak of highly contagious avian influenza in Romania, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
“All the virological tests carried out to date in Romania have failed to identify the presence of the avian influenza virus,” Commission spokesman Philip Tod told reporters.
“Every day that passes… reassures us that avian influenza is not in fact present in Romania,” he said.
EU veterinary experts will meet this afternoon in Brussels to review the latest tests from Romania and Turkey. Bird flu has been detected in Turkey, but it is not yet clear whether it is a low or high-risk strain.
The high-risk strain, known as H5N1, has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003. Tests, however, have not confirmed bird flu in Romania.
“We hope in light of that report… to conclude… that avian influenza is not present in Romania,” he added.
Last week, three ducks in the Danube delta near the Black Sea tested positive for the disease and several neighbouring states, including some from the EU, acted immediately and banned imports of Romanian poultry to try and stop the disease from spreading in their own countries.
Results of the tests of Turkey’s type of bird flu will first be available on Friday, Tod said, adding that the Commission expects to extend its ban on the import of live birds and feathers from Turkey to the EU for another month.
“It (the ban) will be reviewed again… so long as there is possible presence of the disease,” Tod said, referring to the presence of bird flu in Turkey.
“We expect the ban to be extended for a further month,” he added.
On Monday the EU banned imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey and this was due to expire on Wednesday. An earlier ban on imports of Turkish poultry products remains in place.
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