Some 300,000 birds have died of bird flu in Albania, and 120,000 will be exterminated.
An outbreak of bird flu was registered in the coastal cities of Durrës and Shijak, and chicken farmers requested help from the government to manage the situation.
In a statement on Tuesday, deputy Minister of Agriculture Ermira Gjeçi said the government is taking care of the exterminating the birds and disinfecting the relevant areas.
She also announced that the sale of chickens will be prohibited at open markets since they cannot guarantee its quality. Butchers, however, are exempt from the prohibition.
Gjeçi reminded citizens that bird flu cannot be transmitted to humans and the main issue remains the decimation of bird flocks and the financial losses to chicken farmers.
What is bird flu?
Bird flu, otherwise known as H5N8, is a type of influenza, a virus that is lethal to poultry and wild birds. It can be asymptomatic but can also be highly lethal, with a mortality rate of at least 75%. The first significant outbreak was in Ireland in 1983, and almost 300,000 birds were culled to prevent the spread.
In South Korea, in 2014, at least 12 million poultry were killed following an outbreak in the North Jeolla Province. Then in 2016-2017, an outbreak was reported in Europe and the rest of Asia. Over the subsequent years, small outbreaks have been reported throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Can it be given to humans?
In February 2021, Russia reported the first known cases of bird flu in humans. A total of seven people were confirmed to have been infected after working at a farm in the country. There was no indication of human-to-human transmission, and the cases were described as mild. The WHO said that cases were asymptomatic.
The WHO’s statement read:
“Based on available information, the risk of human-to-human transmission remains low and WHO recommendations have not changed as a result of the incident. When avian influenza is circulating in an area, farms and contact with live animals, for example in markets, should be avoided. Precautions must be taken by those working with poultry.”
