December 24, 2007

Russia reports more H5N1 bird flu In Rostov region

The Russian emergencies ministry Friday said H5N1 bird flu, reported earlier this week in the southern Rostov region, has spread to two more locations in the area.

The emergencies ministry said two cases of poultry dying of bird flu had been registered on a private holding in the village of Sladakaya Balka in the Tselinsky district of the Rostov region.

Also, 37 poultry died in the village of Shosseiny in another part of the Rostov region.

The Rostov regional veterinary laboratory confirmed the presence of the virus in the samples taken from all the dead birds.

The emergencies ministry reported Dec. 12 that 35,000 chickens had died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu on the Gulyai-Borisovskaya poultry farm in the Zernogradsky district of the region.

The emergencies authority said first chicken deaths were registered Nov. 29 and on Dec. 11 the poultry farm was quarantined.