Another region in Russia, Tambov, located 400 km southeast of the capital Moscow, has been confirmed to be affected by the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to Reuters.
A senior health official in the area reported that test results indicate that chickens in this region have been infected with the H5N1 virus. At least 2,400 chickens in this area have died or been culled due to the infection.
Meanwhile, the news site 24h reported that a new outbreak of avian influenza has also been detected in the Altai region in southern Siberia. Antibodies to avian influenza have been found in blood samples from 59 dead birds at seven farms in the village of Pokrovka.
Previously, outbreaks of avian influenza were also reported in the Ural region (Chelyabinsk) on Saturday and in Tula (300 km south of Moscow) on Tuesday.
Migratory birds seem to have brought the avian influenza virus to Siberia from Southeast Asia, prompting authorities to cull hundreds of thousands of chickens and put affected areas under quarantine.
The EU has imposed import bans on various types of birds from Romania, Russia, Thailand, and Turkey, countries that have confirmed cases of the H5N1 virus. The EU is also preparing to issue a similar ban for Croatia, where an outbreak of avian influenza was reported on Friday.
T.VY (According to CNN, Bloomberg, 24h)
