Danish authorities said on Monday that they were to cull about 25,000 chickens in western Denmark after a bird flu outbreak was discovered.
The H5N8 strain of the virus was detected at a farm near Randers in central Jutland, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said, citing results from the State Serum Institute.The outbreak means Denmark will halt its export of poultry and eggs to certain markets outside the European Union for at least three months, the statement added.
About a week ago, bird flu was found in wild birds in locations from the German border in southern Jutland to Aalborg in the north.
A 3-kilometre-wide cordon was to be established around the infected farm, while wild birds and poultry would be subject to intensive monitoring within a 10-kilometre radius of the farm.Poultry owners were urged to ensure that wild fowl did not come into contact with their flocks, state agency veterinarian John Larsen said.
While avian influenza is serious for birds, no infection has been reported in humans with the types of avian influenza currently circulating in birds in Europe, including H5N8.
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