19.05.2006

Romania has fired two top veterinary officials and arrested a private veterinarian amid spreading outbreaks of avian influenza in the past 2 days.
Romanian authorities had arrested a veterinarian named Virgil Udrea for allegedly allowing poultry infected with avian influenza to be sold to farmers. He worked at an industrial farm called Drakom Silva in Codlea in central Romania. Government officials say the current outbreaks began at Drakom Silva.
The head of Drakom Silva and the director of another farm were also detained, on charges of "spreading disease among animals".