TALLINN - Estonia is on high alert for bird flu after nearby Sweden reported its first case of the disease.
"The country is in an increased state of readiness to react to the first possible case of bird flu in Estonia, as the latest information points to the detection of the disease in our neighourhood, in Sweden," Estonian Agriculture Minister Ester Tuiksoo said Tuesday.
"We are ready to react immediately if we get news of the first infected bird in Estonia," Tuiksoo said.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture on Tuesday reported that an "aggressive" form of bird flu had been detected in wild ducks in the Scandinavian country, which lies across the Baltic Sea from Estonia.
Estonia to open special website in case of bird flu pandemic
In the event of a pandemic of bird flu in humans, Estonia will open a special Internet site to tell people what steps they should take to protect themselves.
"The site will be opened in Estonia offering detailed instructions to citizens how they should behave" if an outbreak of avian flu occurs in humans, social affairs ministry spokesman Mart Soonik said in a statement.
Information about avian flu is currently available from the website of the agriculture ministry or National Health Institute, and Estonians can also call a 24-hour telephone hotline and pose their questions about bird flu.
Next month, the agriculture ministry will issue a leaflet on avian influenza, which will be distributed with major newspapers across the country.
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