Another Bird Flu Outbreak Suspected In Crimea

Ukrianian officials at work during a state of emergency declared after an outbreak of bird flu in December 2005 (epa) 5 January 2006 -- Health officials are reporting another outbreak of suspected bird flu in Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Mass deaths of poultry had been noted in a village near Simferopol, apparently due to bird flu. Final laboratory results were not yet available but, as a precaution, local authorities have ordered all domestic birds in the village to be killed.

Ukrainian officials also said on 5 January that laboratory results show that bird flu had not caused the death of some 40,000 birds at three poultry farms in the Crimea over the New Year weekend. However, laboratory analyses had not yet identified the cause.

(UNIAN/Interfax Ukraine)