Quarantine measures are to be reviewed in Britain after it was revealed a South American parrot was probably infected with the H5N1 avian flu by a bird from Taiwan while in quarintine.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Debby Reynolds said it was likely that the parrot, from Suriname, in South America, had contracted the disease in the United Kingdom.
Dr Reynolds insisted quarantine was a biosecure unit and that whenever two sets of birds were placed together, the 30-day period of quarantine started afresh with the latest arrival.
The infected parrot tested positive for the H5 virus on Friday but further tests last night confirmed it was carrying the virulent H5N1 strain, which can be lethal to humans.
Around 120 cases of H5N1 have been confirmed in people and 60 of those sufferers in south-east Asia have died.
Dr Reynolds said the H5N1 strain detected in quarantine had never been seen before but most closely matched the disease found in ducks in China earlier this year.
A second parrot that died in quarantine was also tested at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, Surrey, over the weekend.
The parrots were part of a mixed consignment of 148 parrots and soft bills - birds that eat soft fruit - that arrived from Suriname on September 16th.
Dr Reynolds said last night's findings did not affect the UK's official avian flu disease-free status.