October 20, 2005

Russia suspects bird flu has spread westwards in country

Russia's government said the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu might have spread westwards to the Tula region. Tula is about 220 kilometres south of Moscow.

An agriculture ministry official said initial laboratory data revealed that H5N1 was found in dead birds within the Tula region. However, she added that an official government statement would soon follow.

Bird flu had already hit several Siberian regions and the Urals region.