TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's veterinary organization said on Tuesday the first cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been detected in wild swans in the Islamic Republic.
"International laboratory results confirm that some wild swans died from bird flu," a statement from the group said.
Tested samples came from some wild swans in a flock of 135 that was found dead in wetlands near the Caspian Sea port of Bandar-e Anzali on Iran's northern coast, a wintering spot for many wildfowl from Russia.
An official from the veterinary organization, who declined to be named, confirmed the birds had died from the H5N1 strain of the disease, which is dangerous to humans.
This lethal strain, capable of killing half the people it infects, could trigger a pandemic if it gains the ability to be transmitted easily between humans.
Globally, the human death toll from the virus confirmed by the World Health Organization since 2003 stands at 91.
Mohammad Youssefi, director of the Union of Chicken Meat Farmers of Tehran, said the Iranian poultry industry had 600,000 direct employees and added that as many as three million people were dependent on it.
Late last year some union officials expressed concerns about how compensation could be paid for a full-scale industrial cull but Youssefi said the industry was properly insured.
"Parliament has approved a bill on agricultural products and insurance, meaning full compensation will be paid in the case of any damage," he told Reuters.
Iran started a voluntary cull on its western borders after H5N1 was detected in Turkey. Hossein Hassani, the head of Iran's veterinary organization, told Reuters on Monday that 157,348 fowl had been slaughtered by then.
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