Moscow Russia confirms Bird Flu outbreak

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