Sixth swan tests positive for H5N1 bird flu
LONDON (Reuters) - A sixth swan in southern England has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the farm ministry said on Saturday.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said in a statement that the swan was found in the same area as five previous cases.
“This is not unexpected and our enhanced surveillance of wild birds in the area is continuing including active patrols to look for dead wild birds,” DEFRA said.
“There is currently no evidence to suggest widespread disease in the wild bird population and there remains no evidence of disease in domestic birds.”
On January 10, the ministry said three wild swans in a bird sanctuary in Dorset had died from the virus.
Source for this bird flu story: Reuters