Bird flu confirmed in Russia

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 16 (UPI) -- Russian health officials say a deadly strain of bird flu has been confirmed in Russia's Far East after 10 birds died last week.

RIA-Novosti reported 40 birds were culled from the farm in the Primorye Territory where the lethal H5N1 strain was found. The owner of the farm was hospitalized last week with suspected bird flu but was released after tests determined it was not the deadly virus.

In the city of Perm, located in Russia's Ural Mountains, more than 37,000 bird have died. Health officials are trying to determine if bird flu was the cause, RIA-Novosti said.

The last reported of bird flu in Russia occurred in December in the Rostov region in the southern part of the country.