Tests have confirmed a dead swan found in Scotland had the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, Britain's national farming union said Thursday. Britain's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contacted the union to confirm the result, said Peter Kendall, the union president.
An announcement from the department was expected later Thursday, said a spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with policies for civil servants.
The wild swan was discovered last Wednesday at a harbor in Cellardyke, more than 450 miles north of London. British government officials have restricted the movement of poultry and are considering whether to expand a two-mile protection zone around the harbor.