Two Dead Swans Had Bird Flu In Poland

Featured Article
Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 06 Mar 2006 - 15:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Poland has joined the rapidly growing list of countries confirming bird flu infection. Two dead swans, found in the north of the country, died of H5N1 infection, Polish authorities have confirmed.

Polish authorities have imposed emergency measure in and around the area where the dead birds were found.

Samples are to be sent to a laboratory in Weybridge, Kent, UK, for further analysis. The Weybridge laboratory is the EU headquarters for bird flu analysis and research.

The spread of bird flu in Europe over the last few weeks has been from several fronts, both north and south. While coming in over northern Europe and infecting birds in Germany and Sweden, it is also spreading further south- Greece, Cyprus, Austria, and the west - France.

In the UK poultry farmers look on anxiously, hoping the channel, which has protected the country so many times from invasion, may do so again. The British Channel is 26 miles wide - quite an easy hop-over for many birds. So far, the UK is free of bird flu.

With the coming of spring, birds will start migrating northwards into Europe from Africa. Nigeria and Niger have confirmed cases of bird flu infected birds.

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

• Additional
• References
• Citations