Bird flu confirmed in mute swans in S Britain

Bird flu confirmed in mute swans in S Britain

LONDON, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three mute swans in south Britain's Dorset have been confirmed dead with the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu, according to a statement from Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on Thursday.

The swans' carcasses were found following routine surveillance, DEFRA said, adding that a Wild Bird Control Area and Monitoring Area has been set up around the Swannery and bird owners must isolate their flocks from wild birds within the zone.

Efforts have begun to test other birds at Abbotsbury Swannery, a sanctuary located 9 miles from Weymouth, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on Thursday.

Fred Landeg, acting Chief Veterinary Officer, said, "Our message to all bird keepers, particularly those in the area, is that they must be vigilant."

DEFRA spokeswoman Linda Scott said, "Government vets have been testing them for avian flu for the last two days."

Culling of wild birds has been ruled out because experts fear this may disperse birds further.

The discovery in Dorset is the latest in a series of bird flu cases in Britain.

In November 2007, around 5,000 birds were slaughtered after theH5 strain of avian flu was confirmed in turkeys at Redgrave Park Farm, Suffolk.

Previously, a strain was found in chickens at a Norfolk farm in April 2006 and the month before that the deadly H5N1 strain was found in a dead swan on the Fife coast.