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Hungary poultry bird flu confirmed as H5N1

Posted on: Friday, 16 June 2006, 12:02 CDT

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A bird flu virus found in poultry in Hungary last week was the highly infectious H5N1 strain which is also dangerous for humans, chief veterinarian Miklos Suth said on Friday.

"This afternoon we received confirmation from the British laboratory that it was the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza which had infected poultry in Hungary," he told Reuters.

It was the first time that H5N1 had been found in poultry in Hungary.

Suth said the test result was not a surprise and the government had taken measures to protect health.

"By the time the confirmation arrived, all poultry within the one-kilometer protective zone in Bacs-Kiskun county had been culled," Suth said.

Hungary has slaughtered well over 300,000 animals, mainly ducks and geese, in the affected area. It may cull up to half a million in total and Farming Minister Jozsef Graf on Friday put the damage at more than 8.5 billion forints ($39.47 million).

Source: REUTERS

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