Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Attention focuses on first suspected Bird flu incident in Greece

[01] Attention focuses on first suspected Bird flu incident in Greece

Medical tests were also conducted Tuesday on the couple, both pensioners, which raised the turkeys. The site where the suspected incident was recorded, identified as "Kalamies", is located in a particularly remote spot of the small island, whose permanent population is between 600 and 650 residents. The island, like many others in the Aegean, lies along the path frequently used by migratory birds.

In other reports, half a dozen police officers were dispatched from Chios to Oinousses to seal-off the site, located about five kilometres from the main village on the isle, while health officials also sprayed the area where the turkeys roamed with disinfectant as a precaution.

Greek officials had earlier confirmed that one of the dead fowl had tested positive for the H5 virus. The European Commission was immediately informed, with a decision pending for the transport ban of live poultry and poultry products from the area. The EU decision will be adopted as soon as the national laboratory in Athens confirms the serological results, which are due next Monday or Tuesday.

Chios' veterinary service took samples from the dead birds and sent them to the Athens Centre of Veterinary Institutes, which found one of the nine samples to be H5 positive. New samples will be taken and analysed by the Thessaloniki Centre of Veterinary Institutes, in northern Greece, in order to confirm the accuracy of the first tests.

A bevy of medical experts as well as regional authorities are expected to meet with municipal officials on Oinousses to decide the next steps, as well as possible precautionary measures and to issue guidelines for local inhabitants.

(Caption: ANA file photo)

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