Avian flu did not kill birds on ship in Malta port
VALLETTA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Birds found dead on a ship at Malta Freeport on Sunday died of natural causes and not of avian flu, the Malta Veterinary Service said on Monday.
The discovery of the birds sparked a bird flu alert in which the Limassol-registered ship, which had sailed from Taiwan, was sealed off and its crew quarantined.
The veterinary service said two of the dead birds found on the ship would still be tested in another country as a precaution but there was no cause for alarm.
No bird flu has been reported on the Mediterranean island but a federation of pigeon racing clubs said it had cancelled all pigeon races as a precaution.
