New bird flu outbreak detected in Central Bohemia

Veterinarians have confirmed an outbreak of bird flu at a small poultry farm in Benice, southeast of Prague, a spokesman for the State Veterinary Administration said on Monday. It is already the 16th outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain in the country since the start of the year.

At the end of the year, the largest outbreak of bird flu in Czechia to date was confirmed at a chicken farm in Brod nad Tichou in the Tachov region. Veterinarians had to kill almost 750,000 laying hen.

As a result of the epidemic, the State Veterinary Administration issued a ban on outdoor poultry farming, which has been in place in the country since December 14.