Bird flu kills 4000 wild ducks in Russia

Around 4,000 wild ducks have been found dead in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, officials said on Friday, blaming H5 bird flu for the mass deaths. "This is the H5 virus, the strain is being confirmed," a spokeswoman for the Krasnodar region branch of Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor told AFP. The birds' remains were now being tested, she added. The dead birds have been found on lakes near the Black Sea resort town of Anapa. The region has gone on high alert, with poultry and humans now being vaccinated. "All of these are protective measures, it's better to be on the safe side," the spokeswoman added.