Britain's chief veterinary officer is warning there's a risk that a deadly bird flu strain found in Turkey and Romania could spread to the island.

The British government said Thursday it's doing everything it can to prevent imported birds from bringing avian flu into Britain.

"Confirmation that highly pathogenic avian influenza has been found in Turkey and that avian influenza is now also in Romania is of concern," Debby Reynolds, chief veterinary officer at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told a news conference.

"It shows that there is a risk to the UK."

Earlier Thursday, The European Union confirmed that the bird flu virus found in Turkey is the H5N1 strain that's dangerous to humans and might spark a pandemic.

Scientists have been testing dead birds from a farm in Kiziksa, north-west Turkey, for the strain.

"We have received now confirmation that the virus found in Turkey is an avian flu H5N1 virus," said EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. "There is a direct relationship with viruses found in Russia, Mongolia and China."

He continued: "It is a highly pathogenic and aggressive virus and we in the European Union have to deal with that."

The EU has also banned the import of live birds, poultry and feathers from Romania after the discovery of bird flu there.

Tests continue on dead birds in that country. Although the strain of the virus is unclear, Kyprianou said the assumption was that it would also prove to be H5N1. The samples are being sent to Britain to identify the specific strain.

"We hope it's a low intensity virus," said Romanian Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur. "We are continuing measures to isolate the affected area."

Reynolds said British testing should produce results on the Romania virus by Friday, adding that "we are working on the assumption it is H5N1 because that is the safe way to proceed."

On the EU website, the Commission says it's adopting a decision on Thursday "to ban imports of live birds, poultry meat and other poultry products from Romania following new tests by EU experts, which identified the presence of Avian Influenza."

Kyprianou is urging EU states to get ready for a potential flu pandemic and to stockpile anti-viral drugs.

"What is important is that it does become a priority for all member states and that they make an investment for preparing for this event," he said at a news conference.

British hunters, meanwhile, have been empowered by the government to shoot down as many birds as possible in the fight against bird flu.

The government's veterinary authorities have given hunters bird flu testing kits and asked them to test the dead birds for the disease.

The H5N1 bird flu strain does not easily infect humans. No one in Europe so far has died from it. But over the last two years, 117 people in Asia, mostly poultry workers, have caught it -- and 60 of them have died.

Scientists are tracking the spread of the virus in birds because it could mutate into a dangerous human pandemic strain.

Kyprianou said the EU is assessing precautionary measures in response to the detection, including warning people travelling to countries where the disease has been diagnosed to avoid "going to farms, coming in contact with wild birds and so on."

The EU has also banned the export of live birds and feathers from Turkey since Monday after the virus was discovered there. It announced on Wednesday the ban would be extended until April.

Further actions decided by the Commission:

• A Commission framework decision on preventive measures and increased bio-security (hygiene) will be presented at a Committee meeting Thursday, including strengthening bio-security in poultry farms across the EU and in particular in high-risk areas.
• An emergency meeting of experts on avian influenza and migratory birds will be held Friday.
• The offer of EU and Member State experts to assist Romania, Turkey and other countries which are concerned about suspected cases of avian influenza.