Slovak Officials Confirm H5

BRUSSELS - Feb 21/06 - SNS -- Testing has confirmed two wild birds died in Slovakia from the H5 strain of avian influenza.

One bird was tested in Bratislava city and one in Gabcikovo, district of Dunajska. Samples will be sent to the European Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge for further tests to determine if this is the H5N1 virus.

The Slovak authorities have informed the European Commission that they are applying the precautionary measures set out in the Commission Decision on certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Community.

This Decision was adopted by the Commission on 17 February, following a favorable opinion on 16 February by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Decision sets out the measures to be applied in any Member State of the European Union which detects a case of avian influenza H5 in wild birds which is suspected or confirmed to be the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus.

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