VOLGOGRAD, March 30 (RIA Novosti, Irina Ilyicheva) - Quarantine regulations have been introduced on a village in southern Russia after mass domestic fowl deaths caused by bird flu, the local veterinary department said Thursday.
Officials said 70 birds of 85 kept in the yard of a house in the Volgograd Region had died March 26, but the deaths were only reported two days later.
Local veterinary service deputy head Vladimir Solovyanov said quarantine would be in force for 21 days in the village, which contains 306 houses.
The Foreign Ministry warned Wednesday of a serious spread of bird flu throughout Russia, where more than 1.3 million birds have died or been culled in three outbreaks since July 2005.
"No continent, no region and no country is protected from the spread of the virus, especially during massive long-distance flights of wild birds in spring," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti.
