December 20, 2005

Crimea continues supplying poultry in Ukraine

The Ukrainian Crimea peninsula continues to deliver poultry to other regions of the country despite the official confirmation that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected, the press office of the agriculture ministry said in a statement Monday, quoting agriculture minister Alexander Baranovsky.

Baranovsky said he had appealed to the Crimea government to stop deliveries but had found resistance.

Baranovsky said it was crucial at this stage to impose a total quarantine on the whole of the Crimea in order to avoid serious problems.

The Ukrainian government has formed an emergency group to localise the spread of the virus. The group said Monday it would "study the agriculture minister's proposals to impose a total quarantine on the Crimea peninsula".

Ukraine's health ministry issued a statement Wednesday saying the H5N1 strain had been officially confirmed in 11 towns and villages in the Crimea peninsula.