There is no bird flu in Azerbaijan

The results of this year's third monitoring point to a stable epizootic situation in the country...

Laboratory tests conducted to detect bird flu have not revealed any signs of this virus on the territory of Azerbaijan. This is stated in a report released by the State Veterinary Service (SVS) of the Ministry of Agriculture.

It should be noted that the SVS has published the results of this year's third monitoring for the detection and prevention of the spread of the bird flu virus.

The report notes that during the monitoring, which began on 31 March, pathological material was taken from 26 migratory birds, along with 2133 blood samples from birds kept on private farms in the country.

It should be noted that the experts conducted research in areas where migratory birds are likely to stay temporarily. In particular, the monitoring covered the national parks on Absheron, including the Caspian coastal strip, and the Davachi, Salyan, Aghjabadi and Lankaran districts. In addition, the Aghjabadi and Lankaran districts, as well as the Gizilagach State Reserve, will be examined.

The study was carried out by a special commission that included specialists from the veterinary service of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Health and the Hunters' Society of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the SVS stresses that the epizootic situation in the country regarding bird flu is stable and under constant control.

Although the previous two monitorings also did not detect the virus on the territory of the country, the ban on hunting, consuming and selling wild birds in Azerbaijan, introduced in 2005, remains in force. All border veterinary checkpoints in the country are operating in an enhanced mode to prevent the spread not only of bird flu, but of all animal diseases – African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and others.

The State Service recommends keeping poultry indoors to avoid contact with wild birds, which, as a rule, are in most cases the carriers of the disease.

It is worth noting that since the threat of the bird flu virus emerging is low, given the decline in the migration of migratory birds, which are carriers of the virus, the next monitoring will be conducted in May of this year.

Incidentally, last year the SVS conducted 12 monitorings, during which more than 8 thousand samples from wild and domestic birds were examined. No carriers of the virus were found in any of them.

Source: echo-az.com