H5N1 Re-emergence in Romania
Recombinomics Commentary
November 28, 2007
Romania discovered an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus in the Danube river delta at a small farm on Wednesday, officials said.
The head of the National Sanitary Veterinary Agency ANSV Radu Roatis said tests taken on samples from the dead birds revealed the presence of the H5N1 virus.
"The suspicion for the H5N1 was confirmed by the national laboratory. We discovered the virus in hens and ducks,"
The above comments on H5N1 in Romania are not a surprise. The outbreak in 2005 in the Danube delta signaled H5N1 migration into the region two years ago, and a repeat this year was not unexpected. Krasnodar had reported H5N1 earlier, and that outbreak was followed by H5N1 in England and Saudi Arabia, signaling H5N1 migration into the region.
This year reports of H5N1 are earlier and more widespread, involving Egypt, Pakistan. The postive reports raise serious questions about surveillance in neighboring countries.
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