Bucharest, Romania
Europe went on a continent-wide alert for avian flu this week, after birds suffered separate outbreaks in Romania and Turkey. Both countries began killing chickens and turkeys suspected of being exposed, while the rest of Europe slapped bans on poultry imports from the two. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the infected birds carried the H5N1 virus, the strain that has killed 65 people and millions of birds in Asia since 2003. Doctors fear that strain could mutate and cause a worldwide human pandemic. The E.U. is woefully unprepared for such a health crisis, the Council of Europe said this week, citing a “flagrant lack” of flu vaccine.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 JuneHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
