The European Commission (EC) has issued a call for vigilance regarding avian influenza (AI) by the EU poultry sector, following last Friday’s outbreak in Hungary.
The EC has also urged the industry to ensure the stepping up of current levels of biosecurity takes place on poultry farms in light of the Hungarian case which has already resulted in 9000 turkeys being culled on a fattening farm in Tótkomlós, Békés County.
Confirming the outbreak, which was reported by the Hungarian food safety agency (NÉBIH) on November 4, as involving the highly pathogenic avian influenza of subtype, H5N8, the EC said that the Hungarian authorities had immediately applied control measures as laid down in EU legislation.
“This outbreak was caused by the same strain of Asian origin detected in a wild bird in the same area the week before,” said the EC.
“This and other outbreaks throughout the EU mark the seasonal circulation of AI viruses.”
