Avian flu hits poultry farms in 4 European countries

Amid a general easing in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases across Europe with the progress of spring, multiple new outbreaks linked to the H5N1 virus serotype have been confirmed in Hungary. Fifteen more poultry farms have tested positive for the virus, based on official notifications submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) over the past week. Of these latest outbreaks, nine occurred in the southern county of Bacs-Kiskun, and four in the adjacent county of Csongrad-Csanad. One farm was also affected in each of neighboring Hajdu-Bihar and Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok. Reflecting previous occurrences, 13 of these latest outbreaks involved flocks of ducks or geese for foie-gras production, while the other two comprised meat ducks. Read more