France finds Bird Flu in more swans
Pastor Dale Morgan
France finds Bird Flu in more swans*
From correspondents in Paris
July 31, 2007 09:25am
Article from: Reuters
TWO wild swans found dead in northeastern France at the weekend were
carrying the H5N1 bird flu virus, the local veterinary service said
today, the second outbreak of the disease in the area this month.
The two birds were discovered dead yesterday in the Moselle region of
France. Subsequent tests showed they were carrying the highly pathogenic
H5N1 virus, Sylvain Rigaux, head of Moselle's animal safety and
protection agency, said.
Three swans were killed by the H5N1 strain in Moselle at the start of
July - the first such outbreak in France in more than a year.
The French government subsequently raised its alert level to "high",
meaning that birds and poultry in mainland France have had to be locked
up or protected by nets to avoid all contact with wild birds.
More than 30 countries have reported outbreaks in the past year, in most
cases involving wild birds such as swans.
Globally, the H5N1 virus has killed nearly 200 people out of more than
300 known cases, according to the World Health Organisation. None of the
victims were from Europe.