April 11, 2006

Swan in Croatian capital died of H5N1 bird flu

A swan found dead last week in a Zagreb suburb had been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu--the first case of the illness recorded in the Croatian capital, authorities said Monday (Apr 10).

The H5N1 strain was found during tests by Croatian authorities, the Agriculture Ministry spokesman Mladen Pavic said.

Authorities ordered all poultry within a three-kilometre radius to be kept indoors, Pavic said.

Croatia recorded its first bird flu cases in October, when several swans were found dead in central Croatia. This would be the first time H5N1 has been detected in the capital, home to a quarter of Croatia's 4.5 million people.