Italy's measures against bird flu are sufficient to stop the epidemic reaching its shores, an Italian government's official said here Monday.

"The Italian government has already done everything in its power to calm citizens. Everything is under control," said Italian Senate bird flu committee chairman Valerio Carraro.

He also warned Italians not to buy alleged vaccines advertised on the Internet and elsewhere.

"There is as yet no vaccine for this virus," he said.

Italian Health Minister Storace said in an Italian newspaper interview that Italy might go it alone in bringing in stiffer measures against the epidemic.

"We can't wait for the European Union, unless it moves fast," he said.

The European Union has already banned imports of fowl from countries where bird flu has been detected.

Until now, some 80 new cases are suspected in Turkey, 23 in the Istanbul area alone.

The World Health Organisation has confirmed 76 deaths from bird flu since 2003, mostly in China and other Asian countries.

Source: Xinhua