H5N1 bird flu found in second German state
Deadly H5N1 bird flu has been found in wild birds in a second German state, authorities said today.
Two wild ducks found in the north-western state of Schleswig-Holstein tested positive for the strain, according to the state agriculture ministry.
H5N1 was first positively identified in Germany last week in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which neighbours Schleswig-Holstein to the east. Since then, more than 100 wild birds have been found to be infected.
A domestic duck from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania that was suspected of having bird flu, however, tested negative for H5N1 on yesterday.
Scientists fear H5N1 could mutate into a form easily passed between humans and spark a human flu pandemic.
In view of that risk, German health officials decided yesterday to stock up on Tamiflu, an anti-viral drug believed to counter the symptoms of bird flu in humans.
Officials meeting in Berlin agreed to acquire enough of the drug, which was developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, for 20 percent of the population.
