SOFIA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu outbreaks have hit 20 percent of egg-laying poultry in Bulgaria within the last 20 days, an official said here on Wednesday.
Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Deyan Stratev said at a press conference that seven outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in the regions of Veliko Tarnovo, Pazardjik, Haskovo and Dobrich.
"As many as 1.2 million birds were affected, or this is 20 percent of all egg-laying poultry in the country," Stratev said.
Authorities have taken all necessary measures to stop the spread of the disease in the country's farms, the minister added.
He called on poultry farmers to report suspected disease on their farms in a timely measure, in order that measures can be taken quickly. ■