Ireland stocks up on anti-bird flu drugs

EU officials have said there is no danger that bird flu will spread throughout Turkey because the incubation period of the disease has passed in the village of Kiziksa where the virus was detected.

The deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu was confirmed in Romania over the weekend but the authorities say no more cases have been discovered after tests on more than 400 fowl.

But EU officials warn that migrating birds could carry the flu to mainland Europe.

Meanwhile, the Government has ordered a million treatment packs of Tamiflu, the anti-viral drug which helps to prevent bird flu.

Stocks of the drug are running out across Europe as fears over the virus become more widespread.

Ireland currently has about 45 thousand packs of Tamiflu available in chemists, but experts says it's not clear whether it can protect against bird flu as the virus mutates rapidly, and could easily become resistant to the drugs.