On New Year’s Eve, authorities in Poland reported an infection of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in the eastern part of the country.
The virus was detected in a turkey flock of 40,000 birds and immediate preventative measures to stop further spreading were put in place.
According to Polish sources another 350,000 commercially held birds on 3 farms are at risk within the containment zone with a 3 kilometer radius.
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Andrzej Danielak, president of Polish Association of Breeders and Poultry Producers, confirmed to Reuters news that 3 farms might indeed be affected. “Veterinary services are implementing virus eradication procedures in this situation,” local authorities in Lubartowski county said in a press release issued on Tuesday, adding that the virus was a subtype of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu that can also threaten people.