Qom Hardest Hit by Avian Flu

EghtesadOnline: Qom was the hardest-hit Iranian province during the recent outbreak of avian flu, the chairman of Iran Veterinary Organization said.

News ID: ۷۸۱۶۰۹

03 February 2018

Alireza Rafiei also told Fars News Agency that more than 21 million chickens have been culled so far this year due to the outbreak.

“Although the virus has infected broilers as well, egg-laying chicken farms suffered the most losses,” he said.

Following Qom, the provinces of Isfahan and Yazd were the next most affected provinces, according to Financial Tribune.

Rafiei believes that the wild spread of H5N8 strain of the virus is rooted in the fact that most chicken farms are located close to each other.

Iranian poultry farms are hit by avian flu every year around this time. The H5N8 strain infecting Iranian farms is deadly for poultry, but according to the World Health Organization, although human infection with the virus cannot be excluded, the likelihood is low.