Birf flu suspected in Russia

Russia has found its first case of bird flu, strains of which can spread to people and can be fatal, the Emergencies Ministry said on Thursday, but the country's chief veterinarian could not confirm the news.

Viktor Beltsov, a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry, said bird flu had been detected in poultry in a village in Siberia's Novosibirsk region.

"Numerous birds have died...and an investigation showed the presence of the AH5-type bird flu virus," Beltsov said.

But Sergei Dankvert, chief animal and plant safety officer, told Reuters that the death of the birds could have been caused by other factors.

"We cannot say now if something out of the ordinary has occured. The reason behind the accident could be bad water, feed poisoning, Newcastle disease or bird flu. More investigation is needed," Dankvert said.

Full story from Reuters.