A STRAIN of bird flu has been confirmed in a duck in Co Wexford.
The Republic's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said the avian influenza subtype H5N8 was detected in a wild duck in Wexford town.
The bird was found alive but unable to fly on December 28.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre said although the H5N8 subtype can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds, no human infections with the virus have been reported worldwide.
The risk to humans has been rated as very low.
Further tests are being carried out to determine whether the virus found in Ireland is the same strain present in Britain and mainland Europe.
