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Bird flu discovered in Ivory Coast
The avian influenza virus has been discovered in
turkeys in Ivory Coast, marking the first bird flu outbreak in the country in
six months.
The country's livestock production ministry has confirmed that testing
showed a positive result for the H5N1 strain of the
bird
flu virus.
The tests were performed at a veterinary laboratory in Bingerville, near
Abidjan.
The two turkeys came from a livestock camp on a village on the outskirts of
Abidjan.
Health and sanitary measures have been put in place and people exposed to
the birds are under medical supervision, said the government.
After an outbreak earlier this year, the government banned poultry imports
and closed poultry markets. Around 2000 fowl were culled and 12 millions doses
of animal vaccine were ordered to stop the disease from spreading.
The Ivory Coast's poultry sector consists of some 30 million fowl, employs
15,000 people, and generates more than 60 million euros (US78$100 million) in
revenue.
Editor WorldPoultry
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