Dead swan found in Scotland has strain of H5N1 virus

The swan at the centre of Britain's bird flu scare had a strain of the deadly H5N1 virus very similar to one that infected more than 100 birds in Germany, Scotland's chief vet said today.

Charles Milne, the chief veterinary officer for Scotland, said tests on the swan found in Fife last week showed the infection was very similar to that which infected more than 100 birds on Ruegen Island in Germany.

But he insisted he could not speculate as to how the bird, which was found washed up in the harbour of the small town of Cellardyke, had become infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

He said: “All we can say is the virus is very similar, we can't say how that bird acquired that virus.”

“We have no scientific proof of what's happened, we have no chain of evidence.

“It's very difficult to form any conclusions into where that bird came from.”

Mr Milne also said that since the discovery there had been a “huge number” of calls to the national helpline reporting dead birds.