France began vaccinating more than 300,000 geese and ducks against avian flu Monday while Niger became the second West African country to be hit by a virus which is spreading among birds at unprecedented speed.

Tests on domestic ducks from Niger have shown positive results for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) said. Neighboring Nigeria has already been hit by bird flu in poultry.

The Black Sea state of Georgia said it had found the H5N1 strain in wild swans as the virus, which is endemic in birds in parts of Asia, extends its sweep across the globe.

Bosnia Monday also confirmed its first H5N1 case in two wild swans, which were culled ten days ago.
 
As many as 19 new countries have reported outbreaks in birds over the past month.

France started the vaccination campaign in the department of the Landes, in the southwest of the country, one of the areas deemed to be at risk from the spread of the virus by migratory birds.

France is Europe's biggest poultry producer and has a confirmed case of H5N1 bird flu at a turkey farm in the east, the first farm in the European Union to contract the virus.

Japan has banned poultry imports from France due to the bird flu outbreak and has threatened similar action against the Netherlands because of its vaccination program.

Experts fear the virus could spread rapidly in Africa where chickens live in millions of homes and health, veterinary and laboratory services are often poor.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has reported bird flu in six states.

Niger, one of the poorest countries on earth, shares a 1,500-kilometre border with Nigeria.

An OIE spokeswoman said there were two outbreaks, one of which was close to the border with Nigeria.
 
(China Daily February 28, 2006)