On Monday, the County Administrative Board in Kalmar wrote that the Swedish Board of Agriculture will establish several high-risk areas to reduce the spread of bird flu. The areas will be established in several parts of southern Sweden. In Kalmar County, the coastal municipalities of Kalmar, Mörbylånga, Borgholm, Mönsterås, Torsås, Oskarshamn and Västervik are affected.
"We are doing this as an additional preventive measure to protect domestic birds from infection. The virus survives particularly well now that the temperature is dropping and wild birds that constitute a reservoir for the bird flu virus are moving across the country, which increases the risk, says Kristina Fontel, infection control officer at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
The high-risk areas mean that special rules will apply to those who have poultry and other birds. Among other things, poultry used to produce meat, eggs or other products must be kept indoors in order to be fully protected from any kind of contact with wild birds.