PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) – Mexico reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a farm in the Yucatan Peninsula, its first outbreak in poultry in more than two years, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said in a report on Friday, citing local authorities.
The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it ravaged flocks around the world in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of human transmission.
The H5N1 virus was detected in a flock of 225,860 laying hens in the town of Uman, the Paris-based WOAH said, citing a report from Mexican authorities. All birds were subsequently culled as a precaution.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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