CRI听力:Netherlands Down Plays Bird Flu Concern

Authorities in the Netherlands are down playing concerns about the bird flu, despite a second case being confirmed in the country this week.

Benno Bruggink is with the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

"I am not sure it's very wise to start talking about worst-case scenarios. But should this be the highly pathogenetic version, then we will have to do the same as in Hekendorp early this week. We are lucky that we are in an area which has relatively a few potteries."

Thousands of chickens have already been slaughtered this week following an H5N8 bird flu outbreak in another farm.

The second case is at a farm about 25 kilometres away from the first site.

Bird flu has also popped up recently in Germany and Britain.

Initial indications are that migrating wild birds may be responsible for the spread of the virus, which health officials at this point say poses little risk to humans.