Romania confirmed cases of deadly avian flu in birds in five more villages today and warned migratory flocks could carry the virus south to neighbouring Bulgaria.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has now been found in at least nine Romanian villages in the east of the country. The latest cases in and around the Danube delta were confirmed after tests at a British laboratory.
H5N1 is endemic in poultry in parts of Asia where it has killed 71 people since late 2003. Experts say a flu pandemic among humans could kill millions around the globe and cause massive economic losses.
"Flocks of migratory birds are heading to the northern parts of Bulgaria," Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur told reporters, citing latest ornithologists' findings. "We sent a notification to the Bulgarian embassy."
Mr Flutur said the virus, which appears to be edging westwards to poultry in more densely populated areas, was unlikely to hit big cities such as the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Mr Flutur said the disease spread only when migratory birds came into contact with domestic fowl, which meant big urban areas were likely to remain safe.
The virus remains hard for people to catch, but there are fears it could mutate into a form which passes easily from person to person.
There have been no cases of human infection outside of Asia. Bulgaria has intensified checks on poultry farms and stepped up monitoring of wetlands for possible bird flu outbreaks among wild fowl.
It has also banned poultry imports from affected countries such as Romania and Ukraine. Romania has set aside around $700,000 for compensation for farmers affected by the disease. Some 60,000 domestic birds have been culled and farmers are banned from selling live poultry anywhere in the country.
Farm ministers from Germany, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Moldova plan to meet in Bucharest in early February to discuss joining forces to fight the disease, Mr Flutur said.
The Danube delta is Europe's largest wetlands which lie on a major migratory route for wild birds. The most recent cases of bird flu indicate the virus could be edging west.