Article

2005-10-15 Down Under

Romania bird flu is the deadly H5N1 strain

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Posted by Oztralian [AKA] God Save The World 2005-10-15 05:13|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Wild birds are infected and spreading it as they migrate.

Posted by steve">steve 2005-10-15 14:07|| 2005-10-15 14:07|| Front Page Top

#2 Wild birds are infected and spreading it as they migrate.

eastern-most corner
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Thick black smoke billowed over a village in the eastern-most corner of Romania yesterday as authorities tried to contain a strain of bird flu detected in three domestic ducks. The villagers of Ceamurlia de Jos watched their livelihoods go up in smoke as sacks full of dead geese, ducks and chickens were hurled into 6ft trenches and burnt.

"It's so hard to see this happen," said Marin Maioru, whose 110 chickens were seized yesterday. "But we're also aware that we're on the frontier of Europe and we don't want to be held responsible for starting a bird flu pandemic."

Authorities quarantined the village after scientists detected the avian influenza virus in Paul Negoi's farmyard this week. Vets were alerted after his ducks developed swollen heads, began spinning round rapidly and died. Samples have been sent to a laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey, where scientists are trying to ascertain whether it is the H5N1 strain, which has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003.

Ceamurlia's remoteness in the Danube delta might help to contain the virus, but if bird flu was to have struck anywhere in Europe, this was probably the most obvious place.
The delta contains Europe's largest wetlands and is a key resting area for 300 species of migratory birds flying from Russia and Europe to winter in Africa.

The policemen given the task of culling the village's entire poultry population of more than 20,000 birds looked drained as firemen hosed them down following the morning shift. Eighty men had managed to round up 6,000 birds which they placed in green wheelie-bins, into which a gas pipe was inserted.

As carbon monoxide was pumped in, the birds were heard flapping and squawking inside. After five minutes they were still. The operation was watched over by police who stood guard with assault rifles and stun grenades, lest any locals tried to sabotage the cull.

At first many villagers tried to prevent their birds from being seized. Some hid them in wardrobes or fireplaces. Others killed their stock, and, as most of Ceamurlia's 1,500 residents do not own refrigerators, placed them in buckets of salted water in the hope that they could preserve them into the winter.

KIZIKSA, Turkey - Turkish officials put nine people under medical observation after reports that 40 pigeons in their neighborhood mysteriously died, as officials confirmed that earlier bird deaths were caused by a virulent strain of bird flu, authorities said Friday.

Posted by Creresing Groper4139 2005-10-15 14:57|| 2005-10-15 14:57|| Front Page Top

#3 The EU has just passed a law forbidding H5N1 from breaking out in Euroland. Please keep walking. Nothing to see here.

Posted by Jake-the-Peg 2005-10-15 14:59|| 2005-10-15 14:59|| Front Page Top

#4 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Shipman 2005-10-15 07:52|| 2005-10-15 07:52|| Front Page Top

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