Print
    12 May 2012| last updated at 04:39PM

    H5N2 bird flu outbreak confirmed in central Taiwan



    0 comments

    TAIPEI: Taiwan agricultural authorities confirmed Friday chickens from a farm in the island's central Yunlin county were infected with H5N2, a strain of avian flu that poses little risk to humans.

     

    Animal health quarantine officials said chances were minimal for northbound migrant birds to pass the virus to the farm and said they believed the virus was transmitted by humans or machinery to Yunlin.
     
    No other chicken farm in the county has reported a similar infection so far, said an official with Taiwan agricultural authorities, Xinhua news agency reported.
     
    More than 3,000 chickens have died in the farm over the last three days, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the cause of death. 
     
    The latest incident brings to six the total number of H5N2 cases reported in Taiwan this year. 
     
    Chicken farms in Changhua, Tainan and Nantou were previously affected by the virus. -- BERNAMA

    Leave Your Comment


    Leave Your Comment:

    New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.