Bird flu suspected in three dead swans

Three young swans found dead in a pond in eastern France are being tested for bird flu, the Agriculture Ministry announced today, ordering special containment measures in the area.

Results of the tests were expected on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a control zone of about half a mile was set up around the pond in Assenoncourt in the Moselle region where the swans were found to watch for more possible deaths of wild birds, the ministry said.

Captive birds were ordered confined and cats and dogs forbidden to run loose and bird hunting and other activities involving birds were banned, a ministry statement said.

A second 10-mile observation zone also was set up around the pond with similar rules applying, the ministry said.

Fear that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu may spread in western Europe increased after the announcement earlier Tuesday by German authorities that a wild bird in eastern Germany tested positive for the disease.

Last month, several wild birds in neighbouring Bavaria and Saxony tested positive for the H5N1 strain.

Bird flu is believed to spread along bird migration routes and the H5N1 strain has been found in poultry farms in three other EU countries this year: Hungary, Britain and the Czech Republic, the European Commission has said.

France experienced a bird flu scare after an outbreak of the lethal disease in February 2006 in the south-east Ain region.

It was quickly contained with authorities slaughtering survivors among the 11,000 turkeys and quarantining farms.

A vaccination campaign of fowl was launched.

However, dozens of countries briefly suspended imports of fowl and luxury items like foie gras from France.