Measures introduced to prevent bird flu in Norway

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has declared parts of Norway as high risk areas following confirmation of H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in South East England, according to reports reaching here from Oslo on Monday.

The public are asked to report dead wild bird to the Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) reported.

In the high risk areas poultry keepers must ensure that their animals do not come into direct contact with wild birds, and gatherings and shows for domestic birds are forbidden.

Owners of poultry and other birds in the high risk areas that have not earlier registered their animals are obliged to register their animals in a central register, according to NRK.

The heightened measures are introduced following confirmation of H5N1 avian influenza in a poultry holding in South East England.

The British authorities are carrying out an urgent veterinary risk assessment in consultation with ornithological experts to consider the specific circumstances of this case and determine the level of risk.

The EU countries and Norway will discuss the need for new measures the coming week in Brussels in the light of the risk assessment and any new developments, the report said.

Source: Xinhua