TIRANA, Jan 10 – As Albania recovers from the seasonal flu epidemic that hit earlier this year and peaked at the end of December, there is a new menace on the horizon – bird flu.
While Greece, Croatia and other Western Balkans countries have been affected by the avian influenza, Albanian authorities are being vigilant to prevent bird flu cases in the country.
The most recent strain of bird flu does not affect humans directly, experts say, but economic costs could be great.
Minister of Agriculture Edmond Panariti, said Tuesday that authorities are on high alert since the influenza is approaching Albanian territory.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent an occurrence of the bird flu in the country,” Panariti said while visiting a poultry farm.
“The only way to prevent the spread of influenza, is to disinfect and apply the most advanced methods of the technology of breeding,” Panariti added.
The H5N8 strain of bird flu reached Europe in October 2016, and since then has been detected in at least 14 countries including France, Denmark and Germany. Other European countries have been taking urgent protective measures for strict “biosecurity” in farms.
However, many outbreaks of the bird flu and several deaths due to the disease have been reported around the world. In some countries, birds got sick and died of the flu, while in others, humans contracted the virus and grew ill or died.
The Department of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development is imposing currently strict control measures and inspections on the shipments of poultry exiting and arriving to Albania.
