On Friday, veterinarians confirmed avian influenza in two dead swans on the Lužnice River near the village of Dráchov in the Tábor region. Petr Vorlíček, a spokesman for the State Veterinary Administration, said that the virus is a highly pathogenic type of H5N1 avian influenza virus, which can be dangerous to humans. Veterinarians have informed the breeders in the area and advised them to make their poultry more secure.
“We’ve also alerted nearby communities to get the word out to even the smallest breeders to watch out for biosecurity rules,” Vorlíček said.
So far, however, they have not ordered any buffer zones or culling of animals. “This is the 29th case of this disease in wild birds in the Czech Republic this year, but the first H5N1 subtype in wild birds,” said Petr Vorlíček.