Kazakhstan's North Hit By Bird Flu Outbreak, Says Government

NUR-SULTAN — Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry says a bird flu outbreak was detected in the Central Asian nation’s northern region bordering Russia.

The ministry said in a September 17 statement that 10 villages and towns were placed under quarantine after birds died en masse between September 9 and September 16 in the North Kazakhstan Region’s seven districts and tests results on bird flu came back positive.

In accordance with international regulations, Kazakhstan informed the World Animal Protection and the World Organization for Animal Health about the outbreak, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said that measures are under way to prevent the spread of the bird flu, namely the burning of the dead birds and the disinfection of poultry farms and territories close to them.

The ministry has also decided to start vaccinating birds in the area and neighboring regions of Qostanai and Pavlodar, as well as in some districts of the Aqmola region that surrounds the capital, Nur-Sultan.