A swan found dead in northwest Serbia has tested positive for the H5 strain of bird flu, but further tests at a British laboratory will determine whether it is the deadly H5N1 virus, according to a statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.

The sample from the dead swan, discovered in a swampy area near the Danube river, will be sent to the European Union's laboratory in Weybridge, England, for more detailed analysis, the ministry said.

"The government will undertake measures envisaged by law to prevent the spread of the disease before even receiving the results of the analyses requested from the Weybridge institute," said the statement.

The deadly H5N1 strain, which has been found in many countries throughout Asia and Europe since 2003, has killed more than 90 people, mostly in Asia.

Source: Xinhua