10:33pm UK, Thursday October 13, 2005

As a potentially deadly strain of bird flu gets closer to Britain, EU health chiefs are urging countries to begin stock-piling anti-viral drugs.

180 Romanian bird flu cull

Bird cull in Romania

The warning follows confirmation the H5N1 virus has been found in Turkey. The results of tests on suspected cases in Romania are still awaited.

Whitehall says there is an emergency plan in place and there is nothing to fear at this stage.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou has urged those most at risk of catching seasonal flu to get themselves vaccinated.

These include the elderly and asthma sufferers.

The virus found in Turkey is the strain which has been responsible for more than 60 deaths in Asia.

As a precautionary measure, the EU has banned the import of live birds, poultry meat and feathers from Turkey and Romania.

In Romania experts have confirmed birds which died were killed by the H5 type of bird flu virus.

Samples of the virus are being sent to Britain for tests to determine if it is the H5N1 strain.

Most cases of the virus in humans have been linked to sick birds.

The big fear is that could mutate into a form which can be passed from person to person.