Bird flu reached the German capital when it was confirmed that a dead buzzard found on the balcony of an apartment block was infected with the H5N1 form of the virus.

German health workers walk past a 'Bird Flu. No Trespassing' sign near Lagerlechfeld in February 2006. [AFP]

The infected bird was found in the eastern Berlin district of Marzahn, authorities for the city state of Berlin said.

Tests were being carried out to establish whether it was the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu which has been responsible for more than 100 human deaths, mainly in Asia, since 2003.

The discovery means seven of Germany's 16 regional states have now recorded cases of the virus.

The city's health minister Heidi Knake-Werner said that no other infected birds had been found nearby, leading authorities to believe it was an isolated case. But Berlin was "well-prepared if it proves to be serious".