H5N1 Bird Flu Found in Dead Swans in Germany

BERLIN (Reuters) – Two dead swans in Germany have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Ministry said on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the ministry told Reuters two of four dead swans found on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen had registered positive in an initial test for the virus — the first such positive result in Germany.

The spokeswoman added that Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Horst Seehofer was due to make a statement in Berlin on the matter at 2045 GMT.

"Our emergency committee is meeting right now," the spokeswoman said, adding that samples were on the way to the reference laboratory in Great Britain for further testing.

Earlier on Tuesday, neighbouring Austria as well as Iran said it had detected the virus in dead birds. The deadly strain of bird flu has so far killed 91 people worldwide.