May 16, 2006

Ukraine reports bird flu in Crimea's Kherson region

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in samples taken from 50 migrating birds that died on the Sivash Lake in the Kherson region of Ukraine in the Crimea peninsula, the veterinary authority of the region reported Monday (May 15).

The deaths occurred Apr 20, and the presence of the H5N1 strain has now been confirmed by Ukraine's central veterinary laboratory in Kiev.

Large numbers of migrating birds are currently landing in Crimea, many of them flying from regions affected by bird flu.

The Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Melnik announced Mar 22 that Ukraine had completely eradicated bird flu on its territory and the quarantine in the last affected locality, the village of Solnechnoe in Crimea, had been lifted.

Bird flu was first reported in Crimea in December.