More bird flu found in Germany

THREE more wild birds in north-eastern Germany have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, authorities said yesterday, bringing to 117 the total number of infected birds found in the region.

Germany's first cases of the virus, announced on February 14, were on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen, which still accounts for most of the confirmed cases.

Since then, the virus also has been detected in nearby mainland areas. Yesterday, the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said the H5N1 strain had been confirmed in two more swans and a Canada goose on the mainland.

The virus also has been found in wild birds in other parts of Germany. On Saturday, authorities in the eastern state of Brandenburg said two cases were found around the town of Schwedt, near the Polish border.

Officials also said tests confirmed that a wild duck found near Lake Constance, which Germany shares with Switzerland and Austria, carried H5N1.

The virus has not yet been found in domestic poultry in Germany.

In Switzerland, an H5 subtype of bird flu has been found in a dead duck in Geneva.

Meanwhile, French president Jacques Chirac has told consumers not to panic over the discovery of the deadly H5N1 strain on a turkey farm. It is the first time a farm in the EU has been affected. France already had cases in wild ducks.

In China, two people diagnosed with bird flu remained in critical condition yesterday as authorities published plans to cope with sudden medical emergencies.