Lab Tests Confirm H5N1 in Slovenia

Laboratory tests carried out by a reference laboratory in Padua, Italy, have confirmed the presence of the highly pathogen H5N1 strain of bird flu virus in a dead swan found in the northeast of Slovenia the previous week, the Government PR and Media Office said on Thursday, 16 February.

The National Centre for Disease Control met immediately after news from Italy arrived. It will examine the new circumstances in conjunction with the commission for zoonosis.

The appropriate authorities will provide more information at a press conference scheduled for 4 PM, the PR and Media Office also said.

The Health Ministry and the Public Health Institute insists that the confirmation of H5N1 does not mean increased risk for human health, but they nevertheless urge people to avoid contact with wild birds.

Slovenia is still awaiting confirmation from the EU reference laboratory in Weybridge, the UK; the samples were sent also to Padua because the Weybridge lab is inundate with work.

According to the National Veterinary Administration (VURS), all the necessary preventive measures have been enforced since Sunday, when the presence of H5 was confirmed.

The presence of H5N1 strain of the virus, which can be lethal for humans, was confirmed in a swan found just outside Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, last Thursday, 16 February.

Source: Slovene Press Agency STA