Serbia reports first bird flu case, while Iraq suspects' death from bird flu

Serbia reports first bird flu case, while Iraq suspects' death from bird flu

Serbia reported the discovery of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in a dead swan in the Zapadno Backi region that borders Hungary and Croatia earlier today. The World Animal Health Organization confirmed on its website that the swan had indeed tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has also reported that 130 pigeons were found to be infected with the H5N1 virus in Central Java province. Bird flu is now spreading its tentacles far and wide and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt admitted that it was very possible that the virus would reach American shores in a short time.

The bird flu virus is known to have infected at least 174 people and has claimed 94 lives mainly in Turkey, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Cambodia. The most recent deaths were reported from Turkey, but Iraq has confirmed that a teenage girl and her uncle died of bird flu and that another woman who lived in the town of Nassiriya in southern Iraq is suspected to have died from it and were testing several other cases.

In Germany, the German animal welfare society has said that the discovery of bird flu in a cat has sparked a panic and people are now rushing to dump their pets as fast as possible, "Cat owners are in a panic. We have had endless phone calls from people wanting to give away their cats immediately," said Alexandra Diezermann of the society.

"Some are even ready to have them put to sleep. It is really bad. It is particularly bad in Bavaria." This panic was sparked off after the national veterinary laboratory confirmed late on Thursday that a cat in the Baltic island of Ruegen had died of the virus.