Bird flu reported in central Russia

MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti) - Deaths of domestic fowl from bird flu have been reported in the town of Morshansk in the central Russian region of Tambov, a local Interior Ministry official said Monday. "The domestic fowl deaths happened October 20-21," the spokesman said, adding that experts had confirmed the disease on October 22. Veterinary authorities have imposed quarantine restrictions in the area, which lies about 300 miles to the southeast of Moscow, and 34 ducks and 36 chickens have been slaughtered, he said.

Meanwhile, veterinaries in two villages in the Rostov region in southern Russia did not confirm an outbreak of bird flu, saying that about 700 birds had died from fowl cholera.