Frosts drive birds to Turkey from Ukraine
The Star, 25 Jan 2006

KIEV (Reuters) - Severe frosts in Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula have prompted migratory birds to leave the area for Turkey, lowering the risks of new domestic outbreaks of bird flu, Ukraine's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. 

"A large number of migratory birds which traditionally winter in Crimea have left the region for Turkey," the ministry said in a statement. 

"This could greatly improve the epizootic situation in southern Ukraine." 

Ukrainian traffic police check the booth of a car at the border to a quarantine zone near the Crimean village of Nekrasovka some 800 km south of Kiev in this December 7, 2005 file photo. EUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Ukrainian officials have detected bird flu in 23 Crimean districts so far. Testing showed the cases involved the deadly H5N1 strain of the disease. 

Turkey, also hit by the deadly strain, has recorded the only human deaths so far outside East Asia. 

The H5N1 virus has killed at least 80 people since late 2003, including four in Turkey.