During Parliament's plenary session on Wednesday afternoon, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights - Anton Refalo - announced that the Newcastle Disease that was found in some local poultry has been dealt with and is now under control.

Earlier this weekend, a press release was issued confirming that Newcastle Disease was found in a population of poultry in Malta and that "comprehensive measures" had been taken to control and eradicate this disease within the bird population.

Newcastle Disease primarily affects birds, and transmission to humans is extremely rare. In the unlikely event that a person is exposed, symptoms are usually very mild - such as eye irritation or flu-like symptoms - and are easily treatable. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Minister Refalo, four days later, has now announced that Maltese people can have peace of mind on this matter as the Newcastle Disease has been fully dealt with and is now gone from the local poultry population.

The Agriculture Minister stated that all poultry affected with the Newcastle Disease were rounded up and killed in a manner involving the least amount of suffering. Minister Refalo continued that afterwards, their carcasses were incinerated via an incinerator.

"The situation is now under control," he concluded.