THE SAME CZECH CO-OP HIT BY AVIAN FLU AGAIN

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000797 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE, G/AIAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU KSTH WHO MARR MASS CASA TBIO EZ SUBJECT: THE SAME CZECH CO-OP HIT BY AVIAN FLU AGAIN REF: A. PRAGUE 370 ¶B. PRAGUE 756 ¶1. Summary: Within a week after the first outbreak of avian flu occurred on June 21 at a turkey farm in Tisova, Czech Republic (ref A),a chicken farm at nearby Norin belonging to the same agricultural cooperative was affected by the deadly H5N1 virus. Vets discovered the virus in nine out of 60 chickens while carrying out routine check-up on poultry earmarked for slaughter house. All 28,000 chickens at Norin, which is four kilometers away from Tisova, were destroyed along with poultry kept by local villagers. As a standard operating procedure, the region has implemented strict veterinary and sanitary measures, decontaminated the affected farm, established three kilometer protection and 10 kilometer surveillance zones, and all animals within the zones have been inspected. State Veterinary Administration confirmed July 2 that those laboratory results were negative. There are some 350,000 poultry within the 10 kilometer zone. If no new outbreaks occur, the extraordinary measures will be abolished after 30 days (July 27). End Summary. ¶2. Contrary to the previous situation with turkeys at Tisova, no litter is used for chickens, so veterinary experts have ruled out contaminated straw stacks as the source of infection. They are also ruling out the possibility that the chickens caught the virus directly from birds at large since no dead, infected birds have been found in the region. Experts believe it was probably a farm worker bringing the infection in on his/her shoes or clothes or on the vehicle tires from Tisova prior the introduction of sanitary measures. ¶3. As an immediate consequence of the latest outbreak, extraordinary measures entered into force June 28 for the whole country. By June 30, all poultry farms must keep their birds under the roof. Poultry markets, exhibitions and competitions previously announced were allowed to take place over the weekend but from now on veterinary administration permits will be required not only for domestic events but also for participation in similar events abroad. Vets will be particularly strict in risky regions (the Pardubice Region where the two farms are located and in the South Moravian Region where a swan was found dead of the avian flu virus on June 25). Regional veterinary administrations all over the country were tasked with checking on poultry farms in their jurisdiction. ¶4. Comment: The outbreak of avian flu in two poultry farms in the Czech Republic in June, however unfortunate, has demonstrated that Czech authorities are prepared to cope with the situation, with appropriate sanitation and decontamination measures implemented. Post will monitor the situation closely, particularly during the 30-day window, and provide additional information as they arise. GRABER