The European Union pledged USD 100 million in aid to boost the global fight against bird flu on Friday and Turkey stepped up the culling of birds to try to stop the deadly virus spreading further Turkey has already culled more than 800,000 birds). Following are the latest key facts about the status of bird flu in Europe:
France — Extended its poultry confinement measures to 58 departments of the 96 in mainland France, from an original 26, as fears grow over a virus believed to be carried by migratory birds.
Germany — Increased customs checks on people entering from Turkey to stop illegal import of poultry products.
Greece — Has banned all animal produce from Turkey, and is spraying vehicles entering the country through its northeastern border with Turkey as a precautionary measure.
Netherlands — The Dutch government said on Thursday it wants to vaccinate its huge poultry population against bird flu. The European Commission has yet to approve vaccination. The Netherlands, Europe’s second-biggest poultry producer after France, is home to 90 million poultry.
Romania — Has found highly pathogenic avian flu in 26 villages in and outside the Danube delta, Europe’s largest wetlands and a major migratory route for wild birds.
Russia — President Vladimir Putin told the government on Tuesday to take measures to prevent a new outbreak. Russia has been battling bird flu in poultry since July, culling more than 600,000 domestic fowl. The virus has been confined to eight Russian regions, but no case of human infection has been registered in Russia so far.
Ukraine — Mass poultry deaths were detected at the start of January 2006 at 3 poultry plants in Primorskoe village in Crimea. Ukraine reported its 1st outbreak of bird flu in a dozen villages in Crimea, a major stopover point for migratory birds, in late November 2005.
