# 1576
A seventh dead swan at the Swannery in Abbotsbury has tested positive for the H5N1 virus. This wasn't unexpected.
Also today, Defra announced that that an infected migratory bird was the likely cause of the local infections.
Seventh swan confirmed with bird flu
By Miriam Phillips
A SEVENTH dead swan has been confirmed to have caught the deadly strain of H5N1 bird flu at the Abbotsbury Swannery.
The news of the latest bird infected comes as Defra released a report saying that an infected migratory bird was the most likely cause of the deadly H5N1 bird flu outbreak discovered earlier this month.
An epidemiology report which looks into the spread of the disease at Abbotsbury said that the strain of the virus is similar to those found in Europe in the latter part of last year.
While the report from the Defra said it is not possible to conclusively identify the source of infection, the most likely hypothesis is that it came from an infected migratory wild bird.
The report said that there is no evidence of widespread infection in the wild bird population in the area and no evidence of disease in domestic birds.
Defra are still urging poultry keepers in the area to remain vigilant and report any signs of disease immediately.
There remains no evidence of disease in domestic birds.
