The European Commission said it will call for a complete ban on wild bird imports after a parrot died in British quarantine with the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu.(AFP photo)

    BEIJING, Oct. 25 -- The European Union is expected to call for a complete ban on wild bird imports as more cases of the most deadly strain of avian flu are confirmed.

    The move is in the wake of the death of a parrot in British quarantine with the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu, the first time the virus had struck in Britain.

    The British government's chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds said that Britain could not act on its own over an EU-wide ban, which requires a Commission decision.

A flock of birds are seen flying some 10 kilometres south of Zagreb yesterday.

    The European health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, said the European Commission -- executive arm of the 25-nation bloc -- would recommend this week a ban on imports of wild birds.

    Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU farm ministers in Luxembourg, Kyprianou said he would on Tuesday propose a "general ban ... on the imports of captured birds, which is wild birds which have been captured."

    Such a ban will cover parrots, caged birds, pigeons and birds of prey, 235,000 of which have been imported into the EU in the last three months alone.  

    EU measures taken already include bans on EU imports of live birds from Turkey, Romania, the Greek island of Chios, and Russia following suspected or confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. Enditem 

(Agencies)