Parrot in UK did have deadly H5N1 bird flu strain

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 24 Oct 2005 - 4:00 PDT

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The British Ministry of Agriculture confirmed today that the parrot that died in quarantine in the UK was infected with the more dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus strain. The H5N1 is the most deadly of the many strains of bird flu virus (there are about one hundred strains).

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture said the virus was closely related to one found in ducks in China earlier this year.

The parrot came from Surinam, South America. It was in quarantine in the UK when it died of bird flu. It was with a mixed consignment of 148 birds. The birds were together with another consignment of birds from Taiwan. All the birds, both the ones from Surinam and Taiwan, were humanely culled.

The spokesperson said the parrot most likely caught the virus from the Taiwanese birds. She added that there is a high risk of further global dispersion of this virus. She also said that the UK's status as an avian flu disease-free country remains intact.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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