羅馬尼亞和希臘這星期已證實爆發致命的H5N1型禽流感，疫情疑似傳入緊鄰的馬其頓，使得全國陷入恐慌狀態。疑似爆發禽流感地點位於馬其頓臨希臘邊境之農村地區。
疑似病例來自一名為莫吉拉（Mogila）的村落，該村臨近比托拉（Bitola），距離希臘的北部邊界130公里，並且離馬其頓的首都史高比耶只有130公里。那裡是個僅有500戶人家的小村落，豢養著超過一萬隻的雞隻。馬其頓當局於18日宣布禁止進出莫吉拉村一帶，試圖保護村民及倖存的家禽；另外，當局表示將監測莫吉拉三公里範圍內地區，不過還不會封鎖整個區域。
獸醫局長寇克雷斯基（Slobodan Cokrevski）所表示，這個地區最近有數百隻雞死亡，在40份檢測樣本中，幾乎均死新城雞瘟（Newcastle disease）這種在各國普遍流行的家禽傳染病──除了一隻以外。寇克雷斯基說，這份疑似死於禽流感的樣本已被送往英國「獸醫實驗所」做進一步的檢驗，是個由歐盟、聯合國糧農組職及世界動物衛生組織所認可的禽流感研究機構。試驗結果預期將在七天後公布。
Macedonia is in a panic over the possibility that bird flu may have entered the country. The deadly bird flu virus H5N1 that has been confirmed in nearby Romania and Greece this week, is suspected in a rural area of Macedonia near the country's border with Greece.
The suspect sample comes from a village called Mogila, near Bitola, about 130 kilometers (70 miles) north of the border with Greece and 130 km from Macedonia's capital Skopje. This is a rural area of 500 households, which keep a total of about 10,000 chickens. Macedonian authorities Tuesday banned access to Mogila and its surroundings in an attempt to protect villagers and the remaining poultry. They said that they would monitor a three kilometer zone around the site but did not seal the area off.
Hundreds of chickens have died recently in the area. Of 40 samples taken, all but one showed they died of what Veterinary Administration Director Slobodan Cokrevski said was Newcastle disease, a "well-known plague" among poultry and endemic in many countries. Cokrevski said the one bird that may have died of bird flu has been sent to the UK for further testing at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, the International Reference Laboratory for avian influenza, recognized by the European Union, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, and the World Organization for Animal Health. Test results are expected in seven days, Cokrevski said.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
