Drastic veterinary measures were taken at a breeding farm near the town of Elhovo after the discovery of an epidemic outbreak of Newcastle disease. Official data from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) confirm the destruction of about 2,000 young pheasants aged between 27 and 38 days.
The disease was discovered at a farm managed by the territorial division of the State Hunting Farm "Tundzha". The Executive Director of BFSA, Dr. Svetlozar Patarinski, issued a special order on July 25, which prescribes immediate actions to control the epizootic situation.
The full livestock capacity of the farm amounts to 8,350 pheasants, with infected birds concentrated in two separate herds. Experts suggest that the virus was transmitted by wild birds due to the specifics of breeding. A critical point is the circumstance that the affected individuals had not yet been vaccinated.
The introduced restrictive zones cover a significant territory around the epicenter. The protective zone with a radius of 3 kilometers includes the town of Elhovo and the village of Trankovo. The 10-kilometer observation zone covers nine settlements - six from the Elhovo municipality and three from the Tundzha municipality.
Within the defined zones, strict prohibitions have been imposed on the trade and movement of live birds. Fairs, markets, exhibitions, and bird resettlement for restocking game reserves are also banned.
According to the official statement of BFSA, there are no industrial poultry farms in the area, only personal yards. Owners have been instructed to raise birds in closed conditions and adhere to maximum biosecurity measures.
The introduced anti-epidemic measures will be in effect for 30 days from the date of the initial detection of the disease. In the absence of new outbreaks, they will be reviewed and potentially revoked.
The state will compensate the breeder according to the market value of the destroyed birds. Experts recall that the last registered case of Newcastle disease in the country was in 2020 in the village of Gyurgich in the Vidin region.