  Bird flu outbreak at Mexican farms affects 582,000 chickens February 16, 2013 - 10:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Mexico's animal health agency says a bird flu outbreak at seven farms in central Mexico has affected as many as 582,000 chickens, The Associated Press reports. The Agriculture Department says more than a half million birds were exposed, but the number that will have to be slaughtered has yet to be determined. An outbreak of the H7N3 bird flu virus in western Mexico in 2012 led to the slaughter of more than 22 million hens and caused price increases in chicken and egg products. But the department said Friday that the current outbreak has not affected the supply of chicken products. It said tests were continuing to determine the exact strain of virus involved in the outbreak, but said it did not affect humans. Mexico's nationwide flock amounts to 137 million birds. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news U.S. shuts down Guantanamo wi-fi over hacking threats  Army Lt. Col. Samuel House says the precautions were taken because of online threats to disrupt activities at the base.Oil prices rise as investors await Fed’s latest views on U.S. economy Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, rose 21 cents to $105.01 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.Nokia Siemens unveils tools for better mobile video performance The company says its new capabilities can reduce video stalling by 90% while also cutting demand for capacity by 25%.Russia has fair chance to avoid economic recession: PM “Perhaps, this is not very much. But, at the same time, it’s much better than Europe’s figures,” Dmitry Medvedev said. |
