The deaths of the birds in southern Italy from the H5N1 strain of flu, which is lethal to humans, are the first confirmed cases in western Europe.

The Greek authorities declared that three swans found dead in the north of the country last week had tested positive for bird flu, with another suspected case from the island of Skyros in the Aegean being investigated. Bulgaria confirmed yesterday it had cases of H5N1 in swans.

The developments came after a week in which bird flu was found in Nigeria, an eighth person in China died of the virus, and Indonesia saw its 18th human fatality.

Francesco Storace, the Italian health minister, said most of the 17 dead swans examined had tested positive.

“It’s certain that the virus has reached Italy,” he said. “Of the 17 dead swans, the majority (died) of H5N1, but this does not mean all (of them died of that strain).”

The virus has been found in swans in three southern regions: Puglia, Calabria and Sicily. All the birds originated in the Balkans, according to Storace. A two-mile protection zone was established, where all poultry must be kept indoors and movement of domestic birds is banned. The minister tried to reassure Italians that the outbreak posed no immediate threat to humans.

“It’s a relatively safe situation for human health, less so for animal health,” he said.

Evangelos Bassiakos, the Greek agriculture minister, confirmed yesterday that the dead swans found near the northern city of Thessaloniki last week had died of the H5N1 strain. His announcement followed tests carried out at the European Union reference laboratory at Weybridge, Surrey.

It was also announced yesterday that the same laboratory had confirmed the presence of H5N1 in wild swans in the Bulgarian wetland region of Vidin, close to Romania.

Veterinary officials in Nigeria were destroying chickens at farms suspected of having been infected with a fatal bird flu strain. Experts from the British Trust for Ornithology said the risk of the virus reaching here through birds migrating from Nigeria was low.

Ministers are this week due to respond to criticisms from a Lords committee that Britain is under-prepared for a possible bird flu pandemic.

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