He was commenting on the first possible cases of bird flu that may have been found in seagulls in the northern city of Oulu. About 50 dead seagulls were found on city beaches.
Ruutu advised that people in the Oulu area should avoid contact with either the dead or sick birds. Anyone in the region contracting a high fever and respiratory symptoms within a week should seek medical attention.
Samples from the infected birds are being sent to Britain for testing. Results will take about three weeks. If confirmed, it would be the first known case in the European Union. The case has been notified both to the EU and the European Centre for Disease Control.
Professor Ruutu noted that the samples would be taken for all types of avian influenza. He emphasized that these did not easily infect human beings.
In another statement, Finland's Ministry of Agriculture said Europe was not yet suffering the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu. National Veterinary Officer Matti Aho said on Saturday that increased surveillance indicated the H5N1 avain influenza affecting Asia had not spread to Europe.
Some 57 people have died in South East Asia over the past 18 months after being infected with the H5N1 virus. The same virus has also been detected in Siberia. Experts fear a global outbreak of the avian virus and the possibility it could mutate into a more deadly form leading to a global pandemic.