Europe steps up bird flu protection measures

Europe has accelerated its efforts to combat bird flu as Italy called for EU aid for affected fowl raisers, Germany ordered a limited cull of poultry and France grappled with its first case of the lethal H5N1 strain confirmed in a wild duck.

Veterinarians and soldiers fanned out across the continent yesterday to check dead birds, cordon off affected areas and ensure that vehicles were not carrying fowl. Several countries have ordered all raised fowl kept indoors to avoid contact with migratory birds.