European & Asian Countries Report Severe Outbreaks of Bird Flu

Severe outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, have been reported in poultry farms across Europe and Asia by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

The development has put global public health agencies on high alert as the disease has previously been transmitted to human beings. It has also concerned the poultry farmers as previous outbreaks resulted in the culling of millions of birds.

In an official statement, OIE said that South Korea recently reported an outbreak of bird flu at a farm of 770,000 birds in Chungbuk province. As a result, the poultry farm owner slaughtered all birds as a preventive measure.

Japan reported an outbreak at a poultry farm in the northeast part of the country. Norway also reported an outbreak at a poultry farm in the Rogaland region.

In China, bird flu outbreaks have been reported consistently all over the year. The recent series of outbreaks caused the disease to transmit to humans as 21 cases of human infection of bird flu have been reported so far.

Belgium, France, and the Netherlands have ordered poultry farmers to keep all birds inside after a number of poultry farms having millions of birds reported severe outbreaks.

Earlier this month, the British government declared a bird flu prevention zone all over the UK after thousands of birds were culled in Scotland due to a bird flu outbreak at a poultry farm, requiring poultry farm owners to strictly adhere to biosecurity measures.

Although it is extremely rare, human beings can get infected from bird flu if they come in contact with the infected birds, their feces, their blood, or their meat.