THE laboratory responsible for testing birds for the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus announced last night that it would work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deal with any new cases.

About 60 birds a day are now arriving at the Weybridge laboratory of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

Since February 1, 1,100 tests have been carried out at Weybridge, including 500 on swans. Most have been conducted as routine tests — which is why it took a week to find H5N1 in the Fife swan — but now the cases of all dead swans referred to the laboratory are being treated as urgent.

Officials refused to speculate yesterday on the chances of finding other birds infected with H5N1, but it is more likely than not that they will. Vets expect to find a number of infected birds in the Fife area.The key will be keeping the infection out of poultry flocks.

Yesterday Ross Finnie, Scotland’s Rural Affairs Minister, met leaders of the National Farmers’ Union.

He said: “The poultry producers who were present said they were very pleased with the proportionate nature of the response which we have taken to this crisis.

“They were very confident that by applying these measures they could contain this outbreak.”

It was confirmed last night that 9 of the 14 other dead birds from the area — 12 swans and 2 other birds — did not have the same strain of the virus.

Tests were still being carried out on the 5 remaining dead birds.

Owners of the 48 free-range farms in a 2,500-sq km area who have been instructed to bring their birds indoors could face losing their free-range status if the order is in force for more than 12 weeks. Some vets fear that H5N1 could become endemic in wild birds, which would make it impossible to lift the order.

One organic farmer said yesterday: “I would hope it wasn’t 12 weeks. It shouldn’t be 12 weeks, and no one believes it will be 12 weeks.

“In the worst-case scenario, if this happened the industry would have to sit down with government and consider vaccination. The birds that were vaccinated would then be allowed out. That’s what happened in Holland.”

Experts say that the risk to human beings is minimal. John Oxford, Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital, said: “You wouldn’t catch this from walking past an infected bird. You would have to be touching its beak or plucking its feathers or getting yourself contaminated with droppings.

“The danger to humans at this stage is virtually zero. The danger for chickens and turkeys in the immediate area will be much higher.”

The Government’s Cobra crisis management committee held a second meeting yesterday to discuss the Fife case. The meeting involved officials from several government departments and the Scottish Executive.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “The meeting reviewed all of the arrangements relating to the case and is satisfied that everything that can be done is in place. It will meet again as necessary depending on developments.”

Supermarkets reported no signs of panic, with poultry sales consistent. A spokesman for Asda said: “Chicken sales are the same as they have been since October.

“There have been no more concerned calls from customers than there usually are and none of our lines has been affected yet.”

A spokeswoman for Waitrose said: “There has been no variation in any lines. Our customers understand that this is not a food-borne illness, and buying patterns haven’t changed.”

But Heidi Nicholson, commercial director of Forresters Ltd, which supplies chickens to the trade, said: “When the panic started with the virus in October 2005, demand fell by 10 per cent and it hasn’t recovered since.”

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