Don't panic.

On Friday more health warnings were issued to the public after scientists in Weybridge, Surrey, confirmed that dead birds taken from a Turkish farm were infected with the deadly H5N1 avian strain which killed 60 people in South East Asia in 2003.

Migrating birds are believed to have spread the disease, and Britain's chief veterinary officer Dr Debby Reynolds confirmed there was every likelihood it would spread to Britain.

Dr Sue Bennett, director of Dorset and Somerset Health Protection Unit, said: "The message to get across to people is that at the moment we are several steps away from an outbreak.

"There have only been 200 cases over a two-year period, confined to the Far East, where you have got billions of people living in a very different way to us. They often live alongside their poultry and livestock.

"If you look at the death rates in humans it's tiny and that won't change unless this virus mutates. You would have to have a human who was simultaneously infected with bird flu and human flu and they would have to swap genetic material."Dr Bennett added: "Don't panic, it may never come. This remains a disease almost exclusively of birds.

"We have certainly had some calls from worried older people and I have been persistently trying to put it in perspective for them."

The Department of Health said yesterday that, as has always been the case, it is essential for all children with asthma or diabetes, the over-65s and those with chronic illnesses to see their GP for a winter flu jab.

Fourteen million doses against ordinary flu are available on the NHS. But only about 71 per cent of those eligible had the jab last year and officials said a much higher intake was now necessary to minimise the risk.

The jab cannot protect people from bird flu but if the virus were to affect anyone already suffering from ordinary flu, the victim could then act as a "mixing vessel" in which the germ could adapt to spread more easily from person to person.

BIRD FLU: WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS?

Q: Is there a jab against bird flu?

A: No. Scientists can only start work on a vaccine if the virus make the jump to humans. The only hope of fighting it is by stockpiling antiviral drugs like Tamiflu to ease symptoms.

Q: Are humans at risk?

A: Bird flu has killed 65 people in Asia. All caught it on farms. But experts fear the flu will mutate and jump between humans. It would be potentially deadly, and spread rapidly.

Q: Is there any action plan?

A: Yes. Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has ordered 15million doses of Tamiflu and has a containment plan. Travel would be restricted and events like concerts and football matches banned

Q: What causes bird flu?

A: A fast-spreading virus that hits wildfowl, poultry and game. The deadly H5N1 strain is spreading through Asia and has hit Turkey.

Q: How does bird flu spread?

A: Through discharge from the nose and mouth and in droppings.

Q: Does it kill all birds?

A: It has already killed millions

Q: Has it hit the UK?

A: Not yet. But experts warn it will, through wild birds migrating or illegally imported birds.

Q: What are symptoms in humans?

A: Severe conjunctivitis three days after contact with birds. Victims get a high fever and can't sleep. They have a persistent cough, sore throat and can't move due to a muscle ache. They develop pneumonia, which kills them.

Q: What precautions can we take?

A: Try to vvoid visiting farms or going near wild birds in countries like Turkey. Avoid buying whole feathered birds cheaply. If you see a dead wild bird, do not touch it and call a vet.

First published: October 15