Title: Belgium Announces Avian Influenza Outbreak

The World Organization for Animal Health reported today, Monday, that "Belgium has reported an outbreak of the highly infectious avian influenza virus 'H5N1' in a poultry farm in the northwestern part of the country." The outbreak, the first of this season, was discovered in Dixmude, not far from France. The Paris-based agency, citing information from Belgian authorities, stated: "The outbreak resulted in the death of 95 birds, and the rest of the flock, comprising 20,100 chickens, was culled." Avian influenza, which has led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds in past years, typically strikes Europe during the fall and winter seasons. It has recently been detected in farms in most countries neighboring Belgium, notably France, the Netherlands, and Germany.