PARIS, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- French Agriculture Minister Dominique Busserau confirmed on Sunday the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected in 15 wild swans found dead in eastern France.

    On Saturday, France was confirmed that around 400 turkeys on a farm in the same region died of the bird flu, first case of H5N1 in a European poultry farm.

    Eight EU countries have reported the cases of the virus in wildfowl or birds, including Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia.

    French authorities have put parts of its centre-eastern Aisne region under surveillance since the sick birds were found. Enditem