Quarantine in Bucharest: why?

Agence France Presse is reporting that Romanian military and police have sealed off 13,000 people in a quarter of Bucharest where H5N1 infected chickens have been found. Forty streets in Luica quarter have been blocked off, with the quarantine estimated to last a week to three weeks. All institutions and businesses in the area were ordered closed. An immediate slaughtering of birds in the quarter was underway.

This is an unusually vigorous response to just another poultry outbreak in Romania and immediately raises the question of what is going on or suspected of going on.

Addendum: From MediaFax:

The presence of the bird flu virus was confirmed Monday for Bucharest’s district 4, and some 13,000 people are now in first-degree quarantine, Mayor of district 4 Adrian Inimaroiu told MediaFax.

Bucharest’s general mayor Adriean Videanu also confirmed for MediaFax that the virus has been found in district 4.

The planned quarantine in district 4 includes 40 streets, with 20 apartment blocks and tens of households, as well as factories, stores and a kindergarten which will suspend their activity for at least one week, which could be extended up to 21 days.

Available media reporting suggests this remains a poultry problem. Still…