Bird flu may persist for years in wild -- UK vet
03 Mar 2006 17:15:42 GMT

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - Avian influenza could persist among wild British birds for years, posing a continual threat to domestic poultry, Bob McCracken, former president of the British Veterinary Association, said on Friday.

"There is very little reason to be confident that the infection in wild birds will be a short-term event," he told reporters at a media briefing, saying no one knows if the virus will remain for five weeks, five months or five years.