Hungary eliminates bird flu infections: official

Hungary has eliminated all cases of bird flu in the country, Hungarian Chief Veterinarian Miklos Sueth said Monday.

The disease was successfully eliminated because of the swift response by the authorities, fewer fowl than normal during the winter and the improved cooperation of local residents, said Sueth.

He said veterinary authorities would carry out some 9,000-10,000 inspections across the country before the Easter holidays, checking food retail chains, fowl farms and food processing plants.

The Hungarian government ordered the culling of 3,300 geese on a farm near the southeast city of Szentes on January 21, after 40 of the birds showed symptoms of bird flu.

The London-based EU reference laboratory later confirmed the birds had been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain.

Source: Xinhua