An outbreak of the bird flu strain H5N1 has been identified on a Romanian farm. The poultry farm is situated in Letea, on the border with Ukraine.

Measures to combat the disease have been taken; birds are being slaughtered and a 20-kilometre surveillance zone has been enforced around the farm. The farm is located on a key migratory pathway for birds, which could aid its spread.

Bird flu was last detected in Europe one year ago when a wild duck was found to be carrying the disease in Germany. Romania was badly hit by an outbreak of avian flu in 2005 and 2006, when over one million birds had to be destroyed.

The H5N1 strain can be deadly for humans. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that worldwide, 290 people have died from the virus since 2003.