Reuters is reporting that the H5N8 bird flu virus was detected at two farms located in the Tehran region, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on Monday, based on a report from the Iranian agriculture ministry.
The two outbreaks killed a total of 5,600 chickens out of a total of nearly 283,500 on the farms, according to information on the OIE’s website. All the birds were killed or slaughtered.
“A post-outbreak investigation to trace the source of infection is ongoing to detect the probable spread and circulation of this subtype,” the ministry said in the report.
In related news on Monday, Denmark has reported its first outbreak of the H5N8 bird flu, the country’s environment and food ministry announced today. About 10 ducks out of a flock of 30 were found to have the virus at a farm north of Copenhagen, according to Fox News.
The ministry also said the strain of bird flu was the same virus that has been found in wild birds in Denmark. A week ago, Danish farmers were ordered to keep flocks indoors after the finding of the virus in wild birds.
On November 14, Digital Journal reported that outbreaks of the severe strain of bird flu have popped up in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Croatia, prompting a number of countries to order poultry flocks to be kept indoors.
In 2006, Denmark lost 200 million Danish crowns ($28.58 million) in export revenue due to a bird flu outbreak, said the ministry.
The H5N8 bird flu virus used to be considered one of the lower pathogenic subtypes of the bird flu virus. But as it has evolved, it has become much more virulent. It also can act as an incubator for the much more deadly H1N1 virus.
