The Greek government has lifted precautionary measures against a suspected bird flu-stricken region in the eastern islands of the Mediterranean country since Saturday after final tests in Britain and Greece proved that a turkey suspected of having bird flu did not carry the virus.

The Agriculture Ministry has announced that as a result all poultry trade restrictions on the island of Oinousses, Chios prefecture, where the suspected case sounded alarm in the European Union on Oct. 17, are now lifted, Athens News Agency reported.

"It is self-evident that if and when similar cases appear in the future, the exact same measures will be taken," the ministry said in a statement.

Greece had banned the export of all live birds and their products from the area of Chios earlier in the month, when preliminary tests showed the turkey on the island of Oinousses was positive to the H5 avian flu strain.

Neighboring Turkey and Romania, which have confirmed bird flu cases, have culled thousands of poultry in recent weeks.