Bulgaria - Dead birds found in Shoumen / Plovdiv

[Theresa42]

DEAD BIRDS FOUND IN BULGARIA
09:04 Wed 31 May 2006

The Shoumen regional veterinary inspectorate received signals that dead birds were found in the city park.

Analysts already examined the place and sent samples of the birds for testing in Sofia, Darik Radio reported.

According to veterinarians the most likely cause of death was food poisoning and the cases should not be directly related to bird flu.

A dead bird was also found in Plovdiv. The bird would also be tested. Results will be available in several days.

According to experts the measures Bulgaria was undertaking to prevent the spread of bird flu turned out to be effective and prevented a crisis situation like the one in Romania.

Border control has been tightened, especially at major checkpoints on the border with Romania. Bulgaria already banned poultry import from Romania and border authorities aim at preventing the entrance of infected objects and products from the neighbouring country.

Banned imports have been confiscated and destroyed, Bulgarian National Radio reported. Bulgarian consumers were safe, as all products reaching the national market were clean, head of the National Veterinary Medical Service Zheko Baichev said.

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/dead-birds-found-in-bulgaria/id_15570/catid_66

[Theresa42]

OLD NEWS from Plovdiv

Just a historical note from February about a bf suspect from Plovdiv (hat-tip ). Presumably she tested negative in the end...

Bird flu suspect dies in Bulgaria
2006-02-20 21:36:13

SOFIA, Feb. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A young woman hospitalized last Friday in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv has died after showing symptoms of bird flu, Bulgarian state news agency BTA reported on early Monday.

The patient, 27, was sent to hospital with severe bilateral pneumonia and breathing difficulties, BTA cited the chief doctor Mariana Stoicheva as saying.

Stoicheva revealed the woman had worked in a local minced chicken factory, prompting the hospital to treat her as a suspicious avian flu-infected patient.

Initial tests to detect the fatal H5N1 strain of bird flu virus were immediately carried out and the results were negative, Stoicheva said. However, the samples have been sent to the laboratory in Sofia for confirmation, and the result is expected on Feb. 22.

If the test result confirms H5N1 virus, this will be the country's first human fatality from bird flu.

Another 32-year-old Bulgarian was hospitalized on Feb. 17 in the city of Haskovo, south Bulgaria, after showing symptoms similar to bird flu.

So far the Balkan country has detected the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus in several dead swans, while its neighbouring Turkey andGreece have already confirmed, or are close to confirming, human cases of avian flu infection.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/20/content_4204918.htm