From Eurosurveillance weekly report (edited):

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in poultry and wild birds in the World Health Organization (WHO) European region have caused widespread public concern due to fears that human cases may ensue, as has happened in South East Asia.

Part of the concern is the mistaken assumption that the geographical spread of the H5N1 virus in bird populations signals the start of an influenza pandemic, even though it does increase the size of the human/animal interface and the chances of adaptation of an avian virus to a human host.
However, efforts should continue to clarify that the spread of avian influenza in birds does not constitute an influenza pandemic in humans.

So far no human cases have been detected in the WHO European region. Close collaboration between veterinarian and human surveillance is of utmost importance to ensure early detection of possible human cases. For these reasons, the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO EURO) is undertaking a number of actions to monitor the situation.

Outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 have now been confirmed in five countries, either by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) or national government agencies in the WHO European region: Croatia, Kazakhstan, Romania, the Russian Federation and Turkey. In addition to this, avian influenza H5N1 has been confirmed in an imported parrot in the United
Kingdom. There are now numerous further outbreaks of disease in birds under investigation in several European countries.

Since the occurrence of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in migratory birds, the risk of transmission to domestic birds has increased. Surveillance in wild birds has thus become a priority and the European Union has made guidelines available. It is likely that migratory birds are responsible for the introduction of H5N1 in the European region, as the viruses from outbreaks in Kazakhstan, Romania and Turkey are phylogenetically almost identical to the virus that caused the wild bird die-off at Lake Qinghai in China in May 2005.

Migratory bird flyways are complex, but indicate that additional introduction of the H5N1 virus by wild birds into domestic poultry in the European region may continue.

Between Oct. 17 and 20, 2005, a joint WHO/ECDC mission performed a risk assessment and response evaluation in Romania at the request of the Romanian authorities. The situation was assessed to be under proper control following a timely and joint response by the national veterinarian and
public health authorities. The H5N1 virus has been introduced in an area limited to the Danube delta, and the complete evaluation of this new animal reservoir requires additional investigations by veterinary and wildlife services. Measures to control the interface between wild bird and domestic poultry would have to be long-term and involve a regional approach,
particularly with the countries sharing the Danube delta.