MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Britain, Croatia confirm bird flu cases

Britain and Croatia confirmed cases of bird flu Friday as countries around the world scrambled to put in place measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

In Croatia, the Agriculture Ministry said the country's first cases of bird flu were confirmed in six swans found dead in a national park. British officials said a parrot that had been imported from South America died of bird flu in quarantine.

In both cases, authorities did not know if the birds had the deadly H5N1 strain that has devastated poultry stocks across Asia and killed 60 people in the last two years. The strain has recently been found in birds in Russia, Turkey and Romania.

The European Union said Friday it is preparing a ban on all poultry imports from Croatia. EU officials have previously ordered restrictions on bird markets and shows and urged countries to present a program of vaccination for zoo birds as part of measures to head off the spread of the disease.

About 1,500 migratory swans arrived in the area a few days ago and a fish farmer then found about 15 of them dead, the EU said. Tests carried out by Croatian experts on samples from six of the birds led to the discovery of the virus.

Croats feared the arrival of bird flu in their country - a major migratory route for various bird species.

Britain's chief veterinarian, Debby Reynolds, said Friday the diseased parrot, which had been imported from Suriname and held in a quarantine unit with a shipment of birds from Taiwan, had tested positive for a "highly pathogenic" form of bird flu.

Further tests were being carried out to see if the bird carried the H5N1 strain, which is easily transmitted between birds but is hard for humans to contract. Experts are closely watching the disease, however, for fear it could mutate into a form easily transmitted between humans.

The EU, which has also taken measures to restrict the import of live birds and feathers from Russia following the spread of bird flu, said its vets were continuing to carry out tests on samples from suspect birds found in Greece.

Norway on Friday joined other European countries in ordering poultry farmers to keep their flocks indoors as a precaution against the disease.

In Latin America, meanwhile, top health officials from six Andean countries met Friday to develop a regional contingency plan to prevent the spread of bird flu, while Venezuela closed its border with Colombia over concerns about a milder strain not fatal to humans.

Honduras and Panama also said Friday they were monitoring their borders, had prohibited importation of birds from affected countries and would keep an eye on migratory birds, which officials fear could carry the disease to the Americas from Asia.

India's top pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. said Friday it is talking with Roche of Switzerland about a licence to manufacture a generic version of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu, a move that could ease supplies of the drug in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

Ranbaxy could develop a generic copy of the flu drug in "a couple of months," said Brian Tempest, the company's chief executive.

Tempest said talks are underway with Roche Holding AG for a licence and if it comes through, it would take Ranbaxy another six months to make the generic version available in the market.

Roche could not immediately be reached for comment.

Earlier this week, Ranbaxy's Indian rival, Cipla Ltd., said it would seek a licence to copy Tamiflu. Cipla said it has already developed the generic version - oseltamivir.