VLADIKAVKAZ, February 26 (RIA Novosti, Albina Olisayeva) - Veterinary services are on the alert for an outbreak of bird flu after a swan was found dead in the capital of North Ossetia, the chief veterinary doctor of the Russian North Caucasus republic said Sunday.

Zaur Totikov said the bird was delivered to a laboratory to look into the cause of its death and warned against panic.

"This is not a case of mass deaths but a single instance, which happen every year," he said.

At the same time, Totikov said the republic's veterinary service was prepared to deal with bird flu in the event of an outbreak given that the virus had been identified in some neighboring areas.

"Local authorities are allocating funds for us to buy sanitizers and special uniforms," he said.

Totikov said extra security measures were introduced at the republic's poultry farms.