About 80.000 chickens will be killed in the Czech Republic due to bird flu, while a first outbreak has been identified in Slovakia, with a virus still circulating actively in Europe through migratory birds.
In the Czech Republic, veterinarians are expected to kill 80.000 chickens infected with bird flu today on the farm in Limbotenice, about 45 km north of Prague. Since the end of last week, more than 100.000 chickens have been killed on this farm, which counted 188.000 poultry before Christmas.
The Czech Republic has recorded 48 outbreaks of bird flu this year, a record number in a year.
Elsewhere in Europe, a small farm in northeastern Slovenia was quarantined today after the first case of bird flu was detected, Slovenian authorities said, adding that it was the first case of H5N1 disease this year.
The test was ordered after increased chicken mortality on a farm near Slovenska Bistica, about 100km northeast of the capital Ljubljana.
France recently identified bird flu outbreaks in its southwestern part, while Britain said earlier this month that it had killed about half a million chickens this year as part of the largest bird flu epidemic it had ever had.
Belgium and the Netherlands have also imposed poultry control measures in recent months following outbreaks of the disease.