swans
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Sixteen swans have died in the last 10 days and up to 10 more are seriously ill after they contracted a mysterious infection on the Grand Canal in Dublin.

Tests are being carried out on the corpses of the birds by the Department of Agriculture at the State laboratory.

As of yesterday avian flu had been ruled out, but the cause of the bird deaths remained unknown last night.

A spokeswoman for the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is caring for the sick swans, said they appeared to have contracted a bacterial infection which was possibly botulism.

However, she stressed that it was impossible to be certain until the Department of Agriculture had completed its tests.

Up to 10 swans remained "dangerously ill" and were being closely monitored, the spokeswoman added.

The majority of the dead birds have been discovered between the Portobello-Suir Road Bridge section of the canal.

A number of dead and rotting sea fish were also found in the area.

However, it is not known if they had died from the same cause, if they had introduced the illness in the birds, or if their deaths were unconnected with the swans' deaths.

Waterways Ireland is carrying out a dredging programme on the canal to keep it navigable for boats.

The work involves the removal of sediment deposits from the central navigation channel of the canal and the clearance of rubbish as well.

A spokeswoman for Waterways Ireland said the dredging programme was unlikely to have caused any harm to the swans.

Waterways said the water was extracted from the canal before the dry material was taken out to avoid any leaching of pollutants.