PARIS (Reuters) – Portugal reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza among poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday, as Europe faces a seasonal upturn in the deadly disease.
The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it ravaged flocks around the world in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of human transmission.
The H5N1 virus was detected in a flock of 55,427 poultry in the village of Sao Joao Das Lampas in the district of Lisbon, causing the death of 279 birds, the Paris-based WOAH said, citing a report from the Portuguese authorities.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Gus Trompiz)
