# 913
Testing is underway to determine the exact strain and we may not know until tomorrow if this is the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. Nevertheless, culling and restriction zones are in place.
The Czech Republic has reported H5N1 before in dead swans, but this is the first reported outbreak in poultry.
Bird flu virus emerges in first Czech poultry flock
Prague- A bird flu virus has emerged in a poultry flock for the first time in the Czech republic, the State Veterinary Administration said.
The virus was confirmed in a turkey flock in Usti nad Orlice, east Bohemia, this afternoon. Part of the flock of 6,000 birds have died. The results of control checks that are expected on Thursday will confirm what type of virus has appeared.
The Regional Veterinary Office is preparing stringent precautions including a ban on any future transfers of birds from the afflicted flock and checks of the previous transfers of the poultry.
A 3-km inner protection zone and a 10-km outer surveillance zone will also soon be in force.
The security council of the Pardubice region, east Bohemia, will hold a special meeting, deputy regional governor Roman Linek told CTK today.
The remaining birds in the afflicted flock in the village of of Tisova will be culled.
The first case of bird flu in the Czech Republic was found in March 2006 after which 13 cases of the disease was registered. In all cases wild birds were affected - swans that were infected by the H5N1 virus dangerous for human beings.
