The bird flu is spreading across Taiwan as well as Europe. (Photo : Getty Images)
Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine confirmed that the avian flu has spread in three cities and counties. The director of the bureau expressed concern that the virus will spread more and lead to the culling of more birds.
Huang Tze-Chung, the bureau's director general, said, "We are very concerned with H5N6, not of the bird-to-human transmission, but that it will become like South Korea where they had to cull around 33 million birds within three months resulting in significant damage to their industry."
The virus was predominantly existent in Chiayi, Tainan, and Hualien on the eastern coast, according to the bureau's press briefing.
After his travel from Southern China, a 69-year-old man was found infected with the bird flu. He is still being treated at a hospital.
The avian virus is a global concern and has affected many poultry farms across the globe. In the United Kingdom, 23,000 chickens were slaughtered due to the outbreak.
The farm is located on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and a 6-mile control zone has been established around the Banham Poultry.
The chief executive of the British Poultry Council, Nigel Griffiths, said, "It is the most extensive series of outbreaks we've had for many years."
He added, "There is a concern but there's also a determination to work with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to stamp out bird flu."
A spokesperson from the farm said that the poultry will be killed according to the humane standards of the EU.
He said, "The birds will now be humanely culled by the authorities in accordance with EU legislation."
The spokesperson noted that the farm has safety controls in place to ensure sanitized culling and disposal.
"All of our staff are trained in biosecurity management and we are ensuring that the controls that are in place are rigorously followed," he noted. "We will continue to cooperate with the authorities to ensure that the situation remains under control."
