A duck found dead west of Stockholm had a mild type of the H5 avian
influenza virus but not the deadly form of bird flu that has killed more than 60
people inAsia, Sweden's Board of Agriculture said yesterday.
"The duck that died of the flu in Eskilstuna (west of Stockholm)carried the
moderate variant of the virus, according to the results of analyses carried out
by the National Veterinary Institute," the Board said in a statement published
on its Web site.
"That means that the aggressive bird flu virus found in Asia and Russia and
that has spread to, among other places, Turkey and Romania, was not found in
this bird," said the statement.
The National Veterinary Institute had reported late Saturday that the duck,
one of seven found dead in Eskilstuna on Friday, tested positive for bird flu.
The board said the type of virus found in the dead duck was a mild, low
pathogenic type of the H5 virus and added that at this time of year it is not
unusual for 20-30 percent of ducks to carryinfluenza.
The lethal H5N1 strain has wreaked havoc on Asian poultry stocks and killed
more than 60 people in the past two years.
It has now reached as far west as European Russia, Turkey and Romania,
transmitted by migrating birds.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture on Friday advised poultry farmers in the
central and southern regions of Svealand and Gotaland to bring birds indoors if
possible or feed them in protected areas.
The Board said that the tests meant there was no reason to extend or
strengthen its current recommendations.