GENEVA, Feb 26: Switzerland confirmed on Sunday its first outbreak of avian flu in a wild duck on the shores of Geneva, near the city’s famous jet d’eau fountain.

Swiss officials said it was not yet clear if the bird, found on Wednesday floating between two boats next to the jet d’eau pier, was infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

“We have a first case of bird flu. It’s H5,” Federal Veterinary Office spokeswoman Cathy Maret said, adding a sample has been sent to a European reference laboratory in Britain to test for the H5N1 strain in the duck.

Results are expected at the weekend, he said. Switzerland has been on high alert for bird flu since the virus emerged in neighbours France, Germany, Austria and Italy.—Reuters