EU confirms deadly bird flu virus in Cyprus

European Union authorities have confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu in a sample taken from poultry from northern Cyprus, the European Commission said yesterday.

The confirmation was the latest sign that the virus, found mostly in Asia, was spreading westwards to infect birds in Europe and humans on the continent's doorstep.

Turkey has reported 21 human cases of H5N1, including four deaths, although the World Health Organisation has not confirmed the figures.

"The European Commission and the Turkish authorities have been informed... of the high pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in a sample taken from the area not under the effective control of the government of Cyprus," the Commission said in a statement.

Asked about the implications of the find for Malta, given that Cyprus is also a Mediterranean island, Mireille Vella, from the Food and Veterinary Division, noted that the deadly virus was present in the northern part of Cyprus so Malta was not at any greater risk than before. The first thing to find out was how the virus got to Cyprus, she said when contacted.

Malta was at risk of bird flu but all the precautions were being taken, she stressed.

The EU's executive said it had banned the import of live animals or animal products from the Turkish-Cypriot enclave into the EU, and added that it would be sending two experts to the area to investigate.

"The EU would be ready to assist with surveillance if needed. In accordance with a European Commission decision, the Cypriot authorities have taken all necessary measures including placing poultry indoors," it added.

A Commission spokesman said an EU laboratory had confirmed the existence of the virus in one of two samples from northern Cyprus provided by Ankara, but added she did not expect the bloc to take any further emergency action at this stage.

"We are confident our measures are holding," spokesman Barbara Helfferich said, adding that the Commission expected to have more details today. Bird flu has killed at least 83 people since it re-emerged in late 2003, according to WHO figures.

Experts believe the H5N1 virus is contracted through close contact with infected birds, but fear the virus may mutate to enable it to spread easily among humans, sparking a pandemic that could cause millions of deaths.

EU veterinary experts last week extended a ban on imports of captive live birds from outside the bloc for a further four months to guard against the spread of bird flu.

The ban, which covers captive live birds other than poultry imported for commercial purposes, was first imposed in late October and was set to expire at the end of this month.

The Commission said then that the measure was being prolonged to cover the spring migration season, when birds return to their nesting grounds, because of the situation in Turkey and other countries where the disease is still present.

Of the four reported deaths in Turkey, the WHO has confirmed two.