German state says bird flu case found

9 October 2008

The German state of Saxony said on Thursday the H5N1 bird flu strain had been detected in a duck at a poultry farm near Dresden late on Wednesday.

"Tests are being carried out to determine whether it is the highly contagious version of the epidemic," said Ralph Schreiber, spokesman for Saxony's social welfare ministry.

The flu strain was detected in the duck during a routine examination at the farm, which held some 1,400 birds. All birds at the farm would be killed as a precaution, Schreiber said, adding that access to the farm was blocked off.

Bird flu was last detected at a farm in Saxony in 2006. Last year, seven wild birds were found with the virus in the eastern state, Schreiber said.