December 19, 2005

Ukraine culls 63,299 poultry due to bird flu

Ukrainian authorities have culled a total of 63,299 poultry due to the country's recent bird flu outbreaks, the government said.

According to authorities, the poultry were withdrawn from private farms in the Sovietskyi, Dzhankoi and Nyzhniohirskyi districts from early- to mid-December. They were then culled.

Meanwhile, Prysyvashne (Sovietskyi district), Zorkine (Nyzhniohirskyi district), and Chornomorske and Khmeliove (Chornomorske district) have been quarantined.

Veterinary doctors, medical personnel, and sanitation and epidemiology officers nationwide have inspected 40,428 private farms and vaccinated 29,054 people, including 5,098 children.

Over 540 residents in affected areas have also been put under medical observation.

So far, no human cases of bird flu have been reported in the country.