COUNCILS across south Essex are warning the public not to touch any dead wild birds they come across, after nine dead swans were tested for bird flu.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was yesterday carrying out tests on swans found at the weekend in London and as far north as Thirsk, Yorkshire. It is feared the birds may have died of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, which would be the first-known deaths of wild birds in this country from the virus.
Published Tuesday, February 21, 2006
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