Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 11/16/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** RO5016

RO5016

**Romania**

**Poultry and Products**

**Avian Influenza -- The third outbreak**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Brian Goggin

U.S. Embassy Romania

**Prepared by:**

Monica Dobrescu

**Report Highlights:**

On November 13, 2005, samples collected from 4 hens belonging to 2
backyard farms in Caraorman village, Tulcea county, tested positive for
Avian Influenza virus of H5 type. The village was placed under
quarantine. "Test-chickens" introduced in the backyard farms affected
during the first avian influenza (AI) outbreak in Ceamurlia-de-Jos
survived, so the veterinary quarantine was lifted. More migratory birds
tested positive for Avian Influenza virus H5 type. Monitoring and
Surveillance Program continue for both wild and domestic birds.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Sofia \[BU1\]

\[RO\]

**The third AI outbreak in Romania - Caraorman**

On November 13, the Avian Flu virus of H5 type was isolated in samples
collected from 4 hens belonging to 2 backyard farms in Caraorman, Tulcea
county, in the Danube Delta region of Romania. The village has about 110
households with an estimated number of 2,000 domestic birds.

The procedure applied to the first two outbreaks - Ceamurlia-de-Jos and
Maliuc - was considered here as well and Caraorman village was placed
under quarantine. The birds are killed and incinerated while their
owners are to receive compensation. Caraorman village is very isolated
with no access by road. All traffic in and out of the village is by
waterways, therefore movement restrictions are more easily to implement.

**Status on the first two AI outbreaks**

# \-\-\-- Ceamurlia-de-Jos

On October 7, 2005, an outbreak of suspicion of avian influenza was
reported in a backyard

flock of 53 chickens/hens and 47 ducks in Ceamurlia-de-Jos, Tulcea
County, in the eastern

part of the country. On October 15, the Institute for Diagnosis and
Animal Health received official confirmation from the Weybridge
Laboratory in United Kingdom that the isolated virus was highly
pathogenic, H5N1 strain, similar to the one detected in Turkey and Asia.

The stamping-out procedure has been applied and all poultry from
Ceamurlia-de-Jos (18,642 birds) have been culled and incinerated; the
final disinfection action took place during October 17-19. On October
29, 15 backyard farms were populated with 150 "test-chickens" of 4-6
weeks old. Serological tests with negative results were done on the
respective chickens prior to placement. On November 11, the village has
been officially declared free of virus and the quarantine restrictions
were lifted, as the chickens survive.

# \-\-\-- Maliuc

On October 19, samples from one hen and one swan collected from Maliuc
(40 km north from Ceamurlia-de Jos) tested positive for Avian Influenza.
The Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, UK, confirmed the presence of the
highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.

All poultry from Maliuc (3,508 birds) were culled and incinerated. The
final disinfection operation took place on October 28. Several backyard
farms were populated with 100 "test-chickens" and if the chickens
survive until next week, the second outbreak will also be closed.

**More migratory birds test AI positive**

On October 21, a heron found in Vaslui county, at about 4 kilometers far
from Falciu town, tested H5 positive. On October 27, the Weybridge
Laboratory confirmed that the sample collected from the heron in Vaslui,
was H5N1.

On October 31, the Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health informed
that the samples collected from a blackbird and one jaybird found dead
in Bucharest tested negative for AI. The same day, it was announced that
H5 virus has been isolated in a sample coming from a dead swan found on
the shore of Sinoie Lake (Tulcea County) and in a sample coming from a
wild goose near Vadu Oii (Constanta County) on the Danube river. As a
result, domestic birds, which belong to backyards close to Vadu Oii,
were subject to testing with negative results though.

As all the above positive cases were migratory birds far from villages,
they were considered isolated cases and no locality in the vicinity was
placed under quarantine.

**Monitoring and Surveillance Program continue**

Given the fact that the largest bird migration recently began in
mid-November, the Romanian Veterinary authority anticipates additional
outbreaks in the Danube, Delta region. The monitoring program for wild
birds, the restriction of live birds movement outside the backyard and
clinical examination of domestic birds will continue.

To date, about \$125,000 was spent for compensations granted to
population living in the two affected villages, of which \$103,000 in
Ceamurlia-de-Jos.