Saturday, April 08, 2006
Bird flu reaches Croatia’s capital
Croatian authorities confirmed Friday night that the bird flu virus had reached the capital of Zagreb after a dead swan found there tested positive for the H5 strain of bird flu virus.
The dead swan was found on the shores of the Sava River in southeast Zagreb last weekend, said Mladen Pavic, spokesman for the Croatian Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Ministry.
Tests confirmed that the dead bird had contracted the H5 type of bird flu virus, but test findings as to whether it was the lethal H5N1 strain would be released on Sunday or Monday, reports from Zagreb quoted him as saying.
Officials found no other birds after combing the area within a radius of three km of the locale, Pavic said, adding that they would continue to monitor the situation there closely.
Croatia, which lies under one of the main flight paths for migratory birds, reported its first bird flu case last October when H5N1 was found in six wild swans in the eastern part of the country.