Bird flu scare in southwestern Polish town

Włochy, a village of about 200 people located approximately 60 kilometres east of Wrocław, has confirmed an outbreak of bird flu, the press office of the governor reported on Sunday. A few days ago, farm animals were reported to be infected with the disease in the municipality of Cisek, further south, on the border with the province of Silesia. The office confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza HPAI subtype K5N8 on a small chicken farm in Włochy. Veterinary services have already activated preventative measures on the farm in order to stem its spread, with disinfection of the chicken herd reportedly taking place. Worldwide, there have been few confirmed cases of infection of this subtype (H5N8) in humans, and it is believed that the disease poses no threat to humans.