Avian flu hits Britain

A parrot that died in quarantine in the UK has tested positive for avian flu, the government has said.

The government said the H5 strain of the disease had been found; it is not known if it is the H5N1 variant which has killed people in Asia.

The bird arrived in mid-September from South America.

So far bird flu - in some cases the deadly H5N1 strain - has been found in Romania, Turkey and Greece after apparently being carried from Asia.

UK chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said: "The confirmed case does not affect the UK's official disease free status because the disease has been identified in imported birds during quarantine."

That was fast it was only in Croatia (which I think is 5 countries away) 2 days ago, atleast the parrot is in quarantine.