THE deadly strain of bird flu was confirmed yesterday in a cat in northern Germany, the first time the virus has been identified in a mammal in the EU.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed in a cat in Germany, the first time it has been positively identified in the country in a mammal, a national laboratory said today.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in domestic birds for the first time in Germany, a state spokeswoman said today.

THE H5N1 form of bird flu was confirmed in Hungary, the seventh EU country afflicted with the lethal strain, even as health officials on three continents admitted containment measures taken so far have proved largely ineffective.

Tests have confirmed another 22 cases of bird flu on the northern German island of Ruegen.

German tests confirmed that 10 more wild birds found dead on a northern island had the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain, the federal animal health institute said today.

EUROPEAN leaders took urgent new action to counter fast-multiplying outbreaks of bird flu, ordering poultry indoors to avoid infection but urging consumers not to panic.

European Union veterinary experts today backed plans to boost surveillance of migratory birds and stricter bans on imports as officials scrambled to find ways to curb the spread of deadly bird flu in Europe.