Government confirms first case of bird flu in Spain

Contrary to the first declarations made by the Basque Government, Spain’s Vice President, María Teresa Fernandez de la Vega confirmed this morning that the bird found dead in Alava this week died from the bird flu virus H5N1. The bird was found in wetlands in Salburua in Avala in the Basque Country.

De la Vega appealed for calm, promised that the government would be totally transparent in any news related to the details of this first case of bird flu and assured the press that the emergency plan had been activated. An protection area has been set up in a 3-km. radius of around Salburua and all transport of wild and domestic fowl has been forbidden within a 10-km. radius.

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