site.btaFour Hotspots of Avian Flu Confirmed in Pleven Region

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency confirmed four hotspots of avian influenza in Slavyanovo, Pleven Region (Northern Bulgaria) on Friday.

The disease has affected two farms for raising mallard ducks, one for parents of chickens raised for meat, and one for chickens for meat (broilers). The four farms are raising a total of over 160,000 birds. The initial suspicion of avian flu was caused by growing mortality among the birds.

The infected birds and their contacts in the four farms will be culled under official supervision, in a way that prevents the infection from spreading. A 3 km safety zone, including Slavyanovo and Mechka, and a 10 km monitoring zone have been designated around the farms.