Greeks confirm three cases of bird flu in swans
Posted on: Saturday, 11 February 2006, 12:20 CST
By Lefteris Papadimas
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Saturday reported cases of H5N1 bird flu in three dead swans, as the disease appeared to have been spread into the European Union by wild birds.
"This is the deadly, the aggressive strain of the virus," Deputy Agriculture Minister Alexandros Kontos told Reuters. "The swans were probably flying to Africa because of the cold snap in central Europe."
The swans were found in three separate areas around the Thermaikos Gulf south of the northern port city of Thessaloniki. Tests are also being carried out on a wild goose from the Aegean island of Skyros and the result expected within the week.
"It was confirmed today by the EU lab in London that the three samples from dead swans had the pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus," the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. Italy and Bulgaria also reported cases among swans on Saturday.
The strain has killed at least 88 people in Asia and the Middle East since early 2003 and forced affected nations to cull millions of domestic fowl.
Health experts fear it could mutate into a form that passes easily between humans, possibly triggering a pandemic that could kill millions.
"There is no reason for concern," the ministry said. "There is no sample of bird flu in any farm bird in our country."
Kontos said people who had come into contact with the swans had been tested but results were not ready yet.
Preventive measures since the swans were found include isolating poultry and keeping flocks indoors, banning hunting, disinfecting farms and a ban on meat or eggs from the areas.
"We have set a three-kilometer (two-mile) range from the locations. We have banned the transport of meat and eggs and proceeded with disinfections," Kontos said.
Some local people killed and ate their poultry before the birds could contract the disease.
The deadly H5N1 strain of the virus has forced other Balkan countries to cull poultry on a large scale.
Source: REUTERS
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