The eastern European country, Moldova, confirmed its first case of Newcastle disease for this year on March 15, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
A backyard flock of pigeons contracted the virus from an unknown origin in the country’s capital, Chişinău. Of the 73 birds, 50 died of the outbreak.
Health officials carried out control measures to stamp out the disease like disinfecting and initiating the process to inactivate the pathogenic agent in products or by-products, according to the WOAH report.
Newcastle disease in Europe
Other European countries impacted by Newcastle disease in the past year include Russia, Norway and Spain, with one of the other most recent outbreaks reported out of Sweden resulting in the deaths of 5,000 birds.
Avian flu in Moldova
In addition to Newcastle disease, Moldova reported its first ever case of avian flu out of the central district of Telenesti in January of last year at a backyard flock of 2,800 birds of which 620 died.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, this year’s avian flu outbreak is the largest ever recorded in Europe.
Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.
