Agriculture Ministry reacted promptly to reports about avian influenza.
For the first time ever, avian influenza has been identified in domesticated poultry in Croatia. Thanks to rapid intervention by authorities, the disease was discovered in time and in less than 24 hours all the necessary measures will be completed, so there will be no danger for humans, said on Friday Damir Agičić, Assistant Agriculture Minister for Veterinary Sector and Food Safety, reports Večernji List on December 30, 2016.
“This is the first time that we have found bird flu in poultry. So far, it was discovered only in wild birds, and this situation demands even more serious approach. Due to a rapid intervention the disease was discovered in time, and in less than 24 hours we will complete our measures and eliminate any risk for people”, said Agičić.
Agriculture Ministry announced this morning that at a family farm in the village of Križnica in Virovitica-Podravina County avian influenza was identified. It killed all 15 animals on the farm – hens, ducks and chickens.
Križnica is a village on the left bank of the Drava River, with 22 small family poultry farms producing meat for their own needs. The village is completely isolated by the Drava River and by the state border, and there is no risk of further spreading of the virus. However, it is necessary to implement all precautions, announced the Ministry and added that all required measures were immediately taken.
“We have taken euthanasia measures. Fortunately, this is a place which is relatively isolated, and that is beneficial in epidemiological sense. We have formed three large veterinary teams with 10 members and we plan to complete all the work by the end of the day”, added Agičić.
He said that the task was to assess and take account of poultry that will be subjected to the measures, which will be followed by euthanasia process itself. Animals will then be delivered to a disposal facility and in the end disinfection will be carried out in the village. He added that the owners of poultry would be fairly compensated. “That assignment will be done by a team of professional inspectors who know how to assess the value of each animal”, he said.
Avian influenza spreads by cohabitation of domestic poultry and wild birds, concluded Agičić, adding that the case in Križnica was “a textbook example of how the avian flu can move from a population of wild birds to domestic poultry”.
