The first two cases of dead domestic poultry were registered February 16 at private households in the Domodedovo and Odintsovo districts, south and west of Moscow. The third case of the deaths of hens was registered February 17 at a private farm in the Podolsk district south of Moscow.
A fourth outbreak of dead domestic fowl was registered February 18 at a private household in the Taldom district north of Moscow, and regional authorities said the results of the tests in the latest case will be known Sunday night.
Preliminary tests have showed that the H5N1 bird flu strain could have been the cause for the deaths of domestic poultry, the regional press and information ministry said.
Regional authorities have tightened the quarantine regime to prevent the virus from spreading and placed regional poultry farms under scrutiny, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the dead birds appeared to have been bought from the same vendor at the poultry market in southeast Moscow.
At the same time, the products by regional poultry farms have been carefully checked and pose no threat to human health, the ministry said.
Russia recorded its first cases of bird flu in August 2005, but until now, outbreaks have occurred only in southern provinces and in Siberia.
