Russian health authorities have confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the Moscow region. Several dead birds found in the village of Pavlovsky tested positive for the disease.
Russia’s top veterinary official, Nikolai Vlasov, said further tests are being conducted to see if the birds died of the H5N1 strain, which is potentially lethal to humans. Poultry farms in the area have been placed under special quarantine as a preventive measure.
Last month Russia recorded its first cases this year of the H5N1 strain in dead domestic birds. The virus was detected in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia.
Russia recorded more than 90 cases of bird flu last year. Most were in southern regions, particularly the North Caucasus area that borders Georgia and Azerbaijan. Several cases were also found in the Siberian regions of Novosibirsk and Omsk.