Duck deaths spark fears of European bird flu outbreak
Scientists, fearful the virus may mutate and cause a human flu pandemic, are carrying out tests on the three ducks, which died in eastern Romania.
Romanian Agriculture Ministry spokesman Adrian Tibu said it is strongly suspected that tests on the ducks, being carried out in Britain, will confirm they were infected by the killer H5N1 strain of virus.
Authorities worldwide are on alert for confirmed cases of fowl infected with the H5N1 strain now circulating in parts of Asia.
H5N1 has infected 116 and killed 60 people in Asia, but experts are more worried the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily between people, triggering a human flu pandemic.
The best defence against a pandemic is to stamp out any outbreak in birds before the virus has a chance to change.
Officials said the dead birds were first noted in the village of Ceamurlia near the Black Sea in late September. Samples were sent to a lab in Bucharest, where scientists found antibodies to bird flu.
However, that lab did not have the capability to determine the exact strain of the virus, and sent the samples to Britain. Results are expected in the next few days.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the findings whether they come back positive for H5N1 or not show surveillance in Romania is high, which a spokeswoman called "reassuring".
Mr Tibu said officials in Ceamurlia have killed nearly all the domestic fowl in the village and have banned hunting across the entire Danube River delta.
Residents have been urged not to let their animals roam free.
Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur yesterday said officials have also restricted the movement of people in and out of Ceamurlia and banned the transport of animals.
Medical teams are to administer flu vaccines for residents.
Experts believe regular, seasonal flu vaccines may provide some protection from H5N1.
WHO said the plan to vaccinate villagers was an unusual approach that had not been used in other areas experiencing suspected H5N1 outbreaks.
WHO's influenza spokeswoman, Maria Cheng, said: "But it shows they understand the magnitude of the risks of the two viruses mixing."
