Bulgaria culls 39,000 chickens accused of "bird flu"

 Bulgarian veterinary authorities began culling more than 39,000 chickens in the southern village of Krivo Pol, after confirming an outbreak of bird flu in two farms there, a local official said.

Minko Angelov, the governor of the Haskovo region, said the two farms had been infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus.

This is the second outbreak in the village since April, when more than 40,000 chickens were culled.

Severe forms of bird flu have spread to Europe and Asia in recent weeks.

Avian influenza is often fatal to poultry but cannot be transmitted through food, although some human infections have raised concern among epidemiologists.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news