Slovenia's Bird Flu Measures Assessed as Adequate

Luxembourg, 24 October

Measures that Slovenia has taken to fight the spread of avian influenza have been assessed by EU agriculture ministers as adequate, even stricter than in several other member states.

"We are making resolute efforts to reduce the risk of the virus appearing (in Slovenia), although this possibility cannot be fully excluded," Franci But, state secretary at the Agriculture Ministry, told the press after Monday's meeting.
After the avian flu virus was detected in Croatia, the National Veterinary Administration ordered that poultry be kept indoors in high-risk areas in the northeast and southwest of the country.
But, who represented Agriculture Minister Marija Lukacic, could not confirm if any additional measures would have to be taken at the national level.
Yet, he noted that the European Commission is also considering the vaccination of pets and poultry; the latter had not proved efficient in the past.
The EU does intend to take additional measures on Tuesday, imposing an EU-wide temporary ban on the import of live birds, in particular pets.
"We agreed in particular on one thing: that the fight against avian flu calls for global cooperation, and that this is still an animal disease, which the public must be made aware of," But stressed.

Slovenia's Bird Flu Measures Assessed as Adequate

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