Bird flu outbreak in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, August 16 (RIA Novosti) - Over 100 domestic birds have died of bird flu in a village in northern Kazakhstan, Kazakh chief veterinarian Asylbek Kozhmuratov said Tuesday.

Bird flu outbreaks had previously been discovered in five regions of northern and central Kazakhstan

Kozhmuratov said the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry wanted to ban the fall hunt for wild birds, as they could potentially be infected, and to conduct bird vaccinations.

Dr. Nikola T. Belev, the president of the International Epizootic Bureau's Regional Commission for Europe said that if bird flu "spread to Europe where there were many birds, the disaster would be equal to two tsunamis."

Over 9,000 birds have been slaughtered in Kazakhstan to prevent the disease spreading further.