More bird flu cases

"Unfortunately we detected the bird flu at a sixth site, a small farm with about 40 birds. This is an entirely new location," chief veterinary officer Ewa Lech told Reuters news service.

Lech confirmed that bird flu was also found in a number of wild birds near the town of Orneta, in northeastern Poland.

A safety perimeter was set up around both of the sites by emergency services.

These were only the latest outbreaks detected in Poland in recent weeks. The first incidence of bird flu in the series was discovered at a turkey farm 80 km northwest of Warsaw in early December.

More outbreak sites were discovered some 50 km from that location, in an area of intensive poultry production.

As one of the EU's biggest poultry producers, Poland exported 230,000 tonnes of poultry to European markets last year. Despite the outbreaks and EU restrictions on exports from the infected regions, the industry has yet to feel severe effects. The government has given assurances that it has the situation under control, but further outbreaks could take their toll on Poland's poultry farmers. (Reuters)