ROMANIA: The outbreak of bird flu in Romania is the same deadly strain of the virus as that found in Turkey and Asia, the European Commission has finally confirmed. The strain, called H5N1, is the most deadly form of bird flu virus and has already been responsible for more than 60 human deaths across Asia.
Scientific tests to determine the exact strain of the virus had been delayed for more than 24 hours last week due to a problem with customs at the border with Romania.
But on Saturday, health commissioner Markos Kyprianou confirmed that samples taken from Romanian birds had tested positive for the H5N1 strain in laboratory tests conducted in Britain.
"This morning, tests confirmed that the virus in Romania was an H5N1 strain but further tests were required to confirm the link with the strain found in Asia and Turkey. This link has now been confirmed."
The commission was already working on the assumption that the outbreak in Romania was the same pathogenic H5N1 strain found in Asia and Turkey. Last week it adopted a series of emergency measures designed to stop the spread of the bird flu virus throughout Europe, principally by keeping wild birds and poultry apart.
The commission has also agreed with member states the common criteria for an early warning system to detect the virus.
Tomorrow EU foreign ministers will meet in Luxembourg to discuss the potential danger that the spread of bird flu could cause a human flu pandemic.
Scientists have warned that the bird flu virus could mutate, enabling human-to-human transfer. The virus can currently only be passed from birds to humans, which makes it less of a threat for those who have little contact with birds.