The highly infectious H5N1 avian influenza virus has been identified in the City of Zrenjanin, confirmed through bird autopsy and molecular diagnostics at the Veterinary Specialist Institute in Zrenjanin, as announced today on the Mayor of Zrenjanin, Simo Salapura’s Facebook page.

According to the report, the virus was first detected in a deceased swan in Pescara, with additional poultry deaths reported from Vardarska Street, including 11 turkeys, fifteen ducks, and twenty chickens.

The samples were forwarded to the reference laboratory at the Veterinary Institute in Kraljevo, where the presence of the H5N1 virus was confirmed. This virus can have severe implications for poultry farming and may also pose a risk to human health.

Following the diagnostic findings, the Veterinary Administration is set to declare an infected and endangered area today. The infected zone will have a three-kilometer radius from the outbreak in Zrenjanin, while the endangered zone extends 10 kilometers, encompassing the settlements of Aradac, Klek, Lukićevo, Stajićevo, Belo Blato, Ečka, and Lukino Selo.

In these areas, immediate measures will be implemented, including a census and confinement of poultry and birds in farming facilities to prevent contact with wild birds, urgent disposal of carcasses from dead birds and poultry, heightened biosecurity measures on farms (including the installation of disinfection barriers), and routine inspections of poultry with reporting of any increased mortality or changes in clinical health.

One crucial measure includes a ban on the sale and trade of poultry and eggs, as well as the organization of fairs and gatherings involving poultry. These measures will remain in effect for 21 days, with possible extensions based on the evolving epidemiological situation.

In light of this situation, Mayor Simo Salapura convened a meeting with relevant services at the City Hall today to discuss the ongoing situation and the execution of all mandated measures to curb the spread of the virus. He urged citizens to comply with all precautionary measures and to promptly report any suspicious changes in their poultry.

For any inquiries and applications, citizens may contact the Zrenjanin Veterinary Station at (023) 544-834 or the “Dimić” Veterinary Clinic.

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