Agricultural ministry: information on bird plague in Georgia are grossly exaggerated

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Georgian Agriculture Minister Mikhail Svimonishvili has called information regarding wild bird plague in western parts of the country “grossly exaggerated”. As a REGNUM correspondent informs, the minister noted that “death of wild birds in migration period is a normal situation” and that “number of dead birds is not as big, as journalists say.” Svimonishvili also said that the authorities are vigilant, and several dead birds were examined by specialists in Tbilisi laboratory. Results of these analyzes will be published in three days.

On March 4, several Georgian TV-channels informed about mass discovery of dead birds in western part of Georgia and near Abkhazian conflict zone. Bird flu strain H5N1 was first discovered in Georgia on February, by dead swans in Ajarian lake in Khelvachur region. Currently, state of emergency has been declared in the region, all corresponding measures are being undertaken.