EU confirms Hungary bird flu case

The prospect of a new outbreak of bird flu in Europe has emerged following the discovery of the highly pathogenic H5 virus in Hungary.

Earlier this week, some 30-40 geese, discovered dead or showing signs of damaged nervous systems on a farm in south eastern Hungary, were suspected of having been infected by the virus.

Health ministry officials have sent samples to the official European Union laboratory in Weybridge, England for further tests.

A ministry spokesman said that preliminary laboratory results suggested it was the N1 strain, in what would be the first outbreak of H5N1 in animals in Europe since August last year.

The last case was in a German zoo when a dead swan tested positive.

In a statement, the European commission spokesman said, "the executive is satisfied with Hungary’s response and there is no immediate threat to Hungarian poultry or poultry exports".

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