High alert as bird flu sweeps relentlessly across the globe

The spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu continues relentlessly across the world with the confirmation that dead swans found in Hungary and Croatia this week also succumbed to the virus.

Bosnia has also confirmed its first cases of bird flu this week, while Malaysia said H5N1 has killed chickens near the capital.

In just this month as many as 15 countries have reported cases which is say officials, a sure sign that the virus is spreading quickly.

Experts believe migratory birds are spreading the disease as more than 30 countries have now reported cases since 2003.

In the EU officials are presently considering the vaccination of millions of birds in France and the Netherlands.

The two countries are the EU's largest poultry producers and are seeking approval to carry out preventive and targeted vaccination of poultry, particularly chickens, geese and ducks.

The French and Dutch plans if approved, would be the EU's first preventive vaccination plans against the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The Netherlands faced an outbreak of another type of bird flu in 2003 causing the slaughter of millions of birds.

The EU is however divided on the merits of preventive vaccination as it can damage export trade and consumers are often wary of meat from vaccinated animals.

Until now, vaccination has been allowed only in the EU in limited circumstances and generalised preventive vaccination has been avoided.

The Netherlands wants to vaccinate hobby poultry and free-range chickens, most at risk of contact with wild birds.

Vaccination which would be voluntary, would be an alternative to keeping the birds indoors.

France, the EU's top poultry producer, wants to vaccinate geese and ducks in high-risk bird flu areas.

France which has found H5N1 in a wild duck in the east of the country wants to start vaccination immediately and immunise some 900,000 birds.

Unvaccinated "control" birds, or sentinel birds would remain within a vaccinated flock, and there would apparently be regular testing of both vaccinated and sentinel birds.

Meanwhile in India, as authorities are struggling to contain a major outbreak in poultry, hundreds of people have presented themselves for screening at medical camps in areas where bird flu has been reported.

Twelve people have been quarantined in the town of Navapur, north of Mumbai, while three more are under observation in neighbouring Gujarat.

Authorities have apparently examined 30,000 people in Navapur and in Maharashtra and some 300,000 birds have been culled so far with tens of thousands more to be slaughtered.

To date only seven countries have had human infections and despite the evident concern, the disease remains predominantly a bird one and all the human cases to date have involved people handling sick or dead poultry.

It seems the famous ravens at the Tower of London have been confined to quarters in an effort to protect them from bird flu, a sure sign that things are getting serious.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) while no human cases of bird flu have been reported in India, Egypt or Nigeria, where H5N1 has been found in birds, transmission risks remain as long as the virus is present.

But scientists believe the virus has already developed the ability to infect more species of animals and fear H5N1 could eventually mutate to pass easily from human to human.

New cases of bird flu has prompted Malaysia to ramp up its defences by culling poultry and tracking any suspected human infections.

Neighbouring Singapore has suspended imports from the central Malaysian state of Selangor, where officials said the virus had killed 40 chickens last week.

Algeria has ordered all poultry farmers to keep their birds inside, while Zambia's budget of $4,000 to fight bird flu has been scorned by critics.

European officials are encouraging consumers to continue eating poultry meat and the WHO is assuring people that cooked poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat.

China is expecting more bird flu outbreaks because of the movement of migratory birds after the winter and more shipping of poultry as the new breeding season begins.

The government there has banned imports of pet and wild birds from 10 countries recently hit by bird flu.