EC to make decision on German bird flu

Germany is waiting for a decision from the European Commission following an outbreak of bird flu on a farm in Bavaria over the weekend.

The lethal H5NI strain was discovered on Saturday (August 24th) on the farm, where 160,000 birds have already been culled as a precaution and where 400 ducks died from the infectious disease.

The European Commission said today (August 29th) that it would be making a decision over whether to impose a three kilometre protection zone around the site and a ten kilometre surveillance zone.

Speaking to Forbes, Philip Tod, spokesperson for EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou, said: "All the usual measures are being taken by the German authorities in compliance with European law, and today the commission will be adopting a decision confirming the high-risk zones around the outbreak in a European decision.

"There is no need for further measures beyond the measures which are already being applied by the German authorities."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 195 people globally have died from H5N1 strain.