H5N1 bird flu found in dead swans--German ministry
Posted on: Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 17:15 CST
BERLIN (Reuters) - Initial tests on two dead swans in Germany showed they were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Ministry said on Tuesday.
A "quick test" carried out on dead swans found on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen had provided the positive result, the ministry said.
"We have a very strong suspicion that both swans have been infected with H5N1," Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Horst Seehofer told a news conference.
He said samples were on their way to Britain for testing in the European reference laboratory and definitive results were expected on Thursday.
Seehofer also brought forward a ban on keeping poultry out of doors in Germany to Feb 17. Earlier on Tuesday, the ministry had already brought forward the date for the ban to February 20 from March 1.
"The crucial point now is to prevent a transmission to farming livestock," said Seehofer. The virus is thought to be carried by migratory birds which then infect farmers' poultry.
Earlier on Tuesday, neighboring Austria as well as Iran said they had detected the H5N1 virus in dead birds, following its recent confirmation in birds in Italy and Greece.
The deadly strain of bird flu has so far killed 91 people in Asia and the Middle East and forced the culling of millions of poultry.
Source: REUTERS
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