Slovenia urges calm over first case of bi

www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-12 02:42:22

BELGRADE, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The Slovenian authorities urged on Sunday all people to take caution but remain calm over the fact that the first case of bird flu was registered in the country, said reports reaching here from Ljubljana.

"People should stay away from wild birds - they should not feed them or try to touch them," said Cadonic Spelic, head of Slovenia's Veterinary Administration.

The veterinary watchdog received a report late on Saturday that a mute swan, which was found dead early on Thursday near Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia, was infected withthe H5 strain of the bird flu virus.

Samples were being sent to the EU's reference laboratory in Britain's Weybridge, to confirm whether the virus is that of deadly H5N1 strain, Spelic told the Slovene Press Agency, adding that results should be back within a week.