September 5, 2006

Ukraine reports H5N1 bird flu in Poltava region

The government of Ukraine's Poltava region announced Monday (Sep 4) that the H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in samples taken from migrating wild ducks in the Semenovsky and Khorolsky districts of the region.

The government has imposed a total ban on duck hunting as a precautionary measure, saying about 400,000 migrating wild ducks pass the region every year, creating a threat to local poultry.