Four Asian nations and Denmark confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu today while Israel said it feared bird flu had killed turkeys on two farms.
Afghanistan, India and Myanmar said tests had now confirmed H5N1 caused recent outbreaks in birds, while Malaysia reported two new cases in a wild bird and dead chickens.
Denmark, the latest European country affected, said tests showed a wild buzzard found south of Copenhagen had H5N1.
Israel suspects bird flu killed turkeys on two farms in its southern Negev region although there were no test results yet, Agricultural Minister Zeev Boim said. Israel has so far been spared the virus.
Swiss drug maker Roche said it was boosting output of its flu drug Tamiflu by a third. Tamiflu is seen as one of the most effective methods of treating people infected with H5N1.
In India, veterinary workers began throttling more than 70,000 birds to try to control the latest outbreak there. Hundreds of people were also tested for fever.
"There is no time for niceties. The birds have to be killed as fast as possible," said Bijay Kumar, animal husbandry commissioner of the state of Maharashtra, where bird flu resurfaced this week in backyard poultry.
Bird flu has spread with alarming speed in recent weeks across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, leaving some impoverished nations such as Afghanistan and Myanmar appealing for protective clothing and other basic equipment.
The more it spreads, the greater the fears of the virus mutating into a form that could easily pass from one person to another, triggering a pandemic in which millions could die.
Although hard to catch, people can contract bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds.
Three young women who died in recent weeks in Azerbaijan, on the crossroads between Europe and Asia, are thought to be the latest human victims of the virus. If confirmed as caused by H5N1, the deaths would take the human toll to over 100.
David Nabarro, senior U.N. coordinator for avian influenza, said he expected the virus to continue to spread in birds.
"With the arrival of H5N1 in birds, we have been given a wake-up call. It is truly essential for every leader of every country to be aware that this is a global issue," he told reporters during a visit to Brussels.