December 6, 2005

Russia to lift remaining bird flu quarantines

Russia would lift remaining bird flu quarantines on villages this week, according to Sergei Dankvert, head of the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control   Service (Rosselkhoznadzor).

However, the government would continue to monitor the situation and carry out preventive measures, as bird flu has been confirmed among some wild birds, Dankvert said.

Bird flu has recently killed swans in the Astrakhan region, although no deaths were reported among domestic fowl, he said.

Meanwhile, Rosselkhoznadzor teams have not found any new poultry deaths along the entire Volga river area recently, Dankvert added.

The Russian Poultry Union estimated that the recent bird flu outbreaks have cost the country over 100 million rubles in losses.

Bird flu had earlier hit the Russian regions of Novosibirsk, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Tambov, Astrakhan, Tyumen, Omsk, and Altai.