Bird Flu Case Found, Sweden Kills 1.3 Million Chickens

An aerial photo shows cleaners wearing protective clothing picking up culled chickens at a poultry farm where 3,300 birds died of bird flu were found in Mitoyo City (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - At least 1.3 million chickens in Sweden will be destroyed. This is after a case of bird flu was discovered on a farm in the southwest region.

The H5N5 strain of bird flu is known to have appeared on a farm owned by Sweden's largest egg producer near the city of Monsteras on January 18.

"Unfortunately, this disease has spread into the facility, indicating that a large proportion of all livestock, around 1.3 million head, will be culled and destroyed," the Agriculture Council said in a statement.

Previously this case was also discovered in Germany in early January. They also do the same. Namely destroying poultry. About 62,000 birds, consisting of turkeys and ducks, will be culled.

The H5N8 strain of bird flu was confirmed on two farms in the Cloppenburg region of Lower Saxony state, according to local government authorities.

Cloppenburg is one of the leading poultry production areas in Germany.

A spate of bird flu outbreaks has been reported in Europe in recent weeks, with wild birds suspected of spreading the disease.

Outbreaks were reported in a number of countries such as France and Britain, along with cases found elsewhere in Germany.

The risk of transmitting bird flu to humans is considered small, but past outbreaks in farmed birds have required eradication programs as a precautionary measure.