Times: Deadly bird flu virus confirmed in Britain
A SERIOUS failure in strict quarantine regulations allowed a parrot to become infected with the deadly H5N1 avian flu strain after its arrival in Britain, animal health experts said last night.
The South American parrot appears to have been kept in quarantine too close to a bird from Taiwan, against official advice to bird importers. The apparent lapse in the system is expected to bring about a review of a policy that allows some commercial animal dealers to run their own quarantine operations under veterinary supervision.
Scotsman: Parrot had deadliest bird flu strain
Confirmation that the parrot had the most lethal form of the disease came as Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, said the UK faced an inevitable human flu pandemic, which could lead to people staying away from work and public gatherings. She conceded scientists had warned it was a case of when, not if, the flu strikes, but she could not give a timetable as "we simply don't know".
Reuters: Key dates in spread of bird flu from Asia
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