Bird Flu in One More Provinces

Avian influenza has spread to another province in the country after being reported in six provinces last week.

The highly pathogenic H5N8 strain has been detected in Alborz, Qom, Markazi, East Azarbaijan, Kermanshah, Mazandaran and Tehran provinces, news outlets reported.

Since the first reports on the spread of the virus in mid-November, over 600,000 poultry have been culled, according to Mehdi Khalaj, head of Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO).

The IVO said it its latest statement that all infected areas have been identified and disinfected, but urged poultry farms to be extra cautious about safety regulations. It has banned hunting of wild birds as the migrating birds could be carriers of the virus.

More than 400 wild birds succumbed to the virus around Mighan Lagoon Wetland in Markazi Province over the past week.

H5N8 has been reported in at least 20 countries over the past three months.