There are approximately 110 million emergency room visits annually, and a number of those may be a result of bird flu concerns in the Czech Republic. The disease was recently discovered on two poultry farms and in several swans in the southeast.
Several tests performed on the infected birds confirmed that a highly contagious strain of the disease, known as H5, was present. Additional testing determined that the “assumed” N8 sub-type was also present in the birds.
The areas of infection have been placed under careful observation. A 3-kilometer zone and a 10-kilometer zone have been placed respectively around each location to further study the cases presented and prevent further disease from spreading.
The H5N8 virus wasn’t only detected in the Czech Republic. This deadly strain has seen confirmed cases in well over a dozen other European countries, including France, Britain, and Germany. The documented cases date back to early October 2016.
Media outlets have reported that since the confirmed cases in the southeast Czech Republic, over 20 animals have been killed. Another 100 were scheduled for slaughter in the upcoming weeks. Veterinarians ave announced plans to cull the poultry population at the affected farms and at neighboring farms to prevent any further incidents of disease.
The last incident of the highly contagious strain was found in 2007. It resulted in a massive loss of life for farms everywhere. In that particular instance, veterinarians were responsible for culling upwards of 171,000 animals on more than 1,900 family ranches.
State Veterinary Administration chief Zbynek Semerad explained that each of the affected farms will be “checked regularly” for any further signs of the contagious disease.
