Avian flu has returned to Slovakia. Tests have confirmed the occurrence of a highly pathogenic subtype of H5N8 in a private poultry farm in the village of Zbehy (Nitra Region).
The same subtype occurred in Poland in late 2019 and early 2020, the SITA newswire reported.
The breeder from Zbehy reported the death of three out of a total of 22 hens, the State Veterinary and Food Administration (ŠPVS) reported.
“The animals are no longer on the farm and have been disposed of by the breeder himself,” ŠPVS added, as quoted by SITA. “The preliminary investigation assumes the infection was carried by wild birds, as these were free-range hens.”