Authorities confirm bird flu case in southern Belgium

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian health authorities said they confirmed a case of bird flu in southern Belgium concerning the highly contagious H5N8 virus, and established a 3 kilometer perimeter around the area where the transport of birds and eggs was forbidden. In the perimeter around the village of Wangenies, just outside of Charleroi, authorities also introduced a ban on feeding birds outside. The measures will stay in place for at least three weeks. Belgium said it would not take new measures for the whole of the country, but kept a ban on selling live birds at markets and showing live birds at trade fairs and competitions. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek)