According to World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), it has received several reports of outbreaks of bird flu in Europe and Asia in recent days.

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious strain of influenza that affects food-producing birds, pet birds and wild birds. According to Reuters, previous outbreaks of bird flu have prompted the mass culling of birds and trade restrictions in some regions.

South Korea reported an outbreak at a farm of around 770,000 poultry in Chungcheongbuk-do, the OIE said on Monday, referring to a report from the South Korean authorities. All animals were slaughtered.

Also in Asia, Japan reported its first outbreak of the 2021 winter season, at a poultry farm in the northeast of the country, the OIE said, confirming a statement last week by Japan`s agriculture ministry. The serotype in this outbreak was H5N8.

The Belgian government put the country at increased risk for bird flu, ordering poultry to be kept indoors from za CXMonday after a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu was identified in a wild goose near Antwerp.

This followed a similar move in neighbouring France earlier this month and in the Netherlands in October.

In Europe, Norway reported an H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the Rogaland region in a flock of 7,000 birds, the OIE said.

Outbreaks have also been reported in India and parts of the Middle East this year.

"People who are in close contact with infected birds are at risk for acquiring avian influenza," according to the OIE. However, it also said that there is no evidence to suggest bird flu can be transmitted through consumption of poultry or eggs.

But it is attracting the attention of epidemiologists as the virus can be transmitted to humans. China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza so far this year, more than in the whole of 2020.

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