Norway finds mild bird flu strain in wild duck

Norwegian veterinarians said tests on a wild duck had found a “benign” version of the bird flu virus sweeping Asia.

Norwegian veterinarians said tests on a wild duck had found a “benign” version of the bird flu virus sweeping Asia. Stein Ivar Ormsettroe, a director at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, said the virus had minor symptoms and was probably not even deadly for the infected bird. “We don’t think it can spread to humans,” he told Reuters, describing it as a “benign” strain of the virus that has swept across Asia. Veterinarians detected the virus after testing both wild birds and poultry late last year. Authorities revealed the results on Thursday after completing the analysis of the tests. “It is the first time we have proven bird flu here in Norway but it has not been investigated much before,” Mr Ormsettroe said. Veterinarians will investigate the find to determine by February 20 whether to launch a wider testing of birds.(Source: Reuter’s Health, ABC Health News, Feb 2004)