Hungary birdflu outbreak confirmed as H5N1

BUDAPEST, June 16 (Reuters) A bird flu virus found in poultry in Hungary last week was the highly infectious H5N1 strain which is also dangerous for humans, national news agency MTI said today, citing British laboratory tests.

It was the first time that H5N1 had been found in poultry in Hungary.

''This afternoon we received confirmation from the British laboratory that it was the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza which had infected poultry in Hungary,'' chief veterinarian Miklos Suth confirmed to Reuters today.

REUTERS MP PM2253