The first suspected case of the avian flu in Greece was detected in a turkey on the island of Oinousses.
The owner of a small poultry unit notified the Veterinary Directorate of the Prefecture of Chios about the presence of the suspected cases in his unit. The authorities immediately took samples and sent them the Athens Veterinary Institutes.
As per the lab tests, one of the nine samples was tested positive to antibodies of the H5 virus, but not to the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu. The samples were sent to a special veterinary centre in Thessaloniki to be further tested.
The Ministry of Rural Development released an emergency circular ordering the Chios Veterinary Directorate to implement the Emergency Action Plan.
(Source: ERT online, http://news.ert.gr/en/newsDetails.asp?ID=11916)
