The number of birds infected by bird flu in northwestern Germany has been steadily increasing over the past few days with figures reaching 103. About 2 of the 103 cases were identified outside the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen, where approximately 270 volunteers and troops have been involved in collection of carcasses.

Recently, nearly 12 dead fowls have been found to harbor the deadly virus. The Institute for Animal Health in Riems had identified about 18 dead swans and 3 geese, which the officials believe, could be responsible for the spread of bird flu from Russia. The whooper swans (migratory birds) migrate between northern European countries and regions close to the Arctic Circle, said a spokesman for the Institute for Animal Health in Riems.

An emergency has been declared in the WestPomerania Island located on the northern tip of state of Mecklenberg. Although no reports of bird flu infection in domestic poultry have been reported so far, the number of poultry culled as a precautionary measure on the island rose to 2,865. The German government had ordered all poultry to be kept indoors to protect domestic birds from the infection.