H5N1 has been found in a small village in the Sumy Oblast. This is near the Ukrainian/Russian border, so you can believe the Russians are paying close attention. The village of Pisky is small (about 500 households) and isolated. So I bet folks are thinking the chickens/turkeys got H5N1 from wild birds.

On June 12

An operational group of the Emergencies ministry..... [arrived] as soon as the information on the epidemic was received

From: All domesticated fowl in Pisky to be culled by the end of day

They arrived in the tiny village to kill all the domestic birds (chickens and turkeys). They weren't greeted with open arms and the villagers who depend on these birds certainly didn't want to turn them over. The birds are a source of protein.

But they were "convinced" to turn over the birds by the next day. So starting on June 13, 2006 all the village domestic birds were killed. This is 7,000 animals.

Farmers will receive 20 hryvnia for each dead chicken, while compensation for lost turkeys will be 90 hryvnia. Some of the villagers 5 Kanal spoke to said that they doubt the government will actually pay out promised compensation.

From: Bird cull continues in Sumy oblast

There is a photo of men dressed in coveralls wearing masks while doing the culling located here.


Here is what the US Embassy is telling folks. The message is very similar to the one sent about the second H5N1 outbreak in Ukraine.

From: "US Embassy Kiev, ACS"
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 4:19:07 AM
Subject: Update: Avian Influenza in Ukraine -- U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine -- June 22, 2006


On June 12, 2006, the Government of Ukraine announced that an outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in the village of Pisky in Sumy Oblast near the Russian border. Ukrainian authorities are culling poultry in the area and have implemented a quarantine on movement in and out of a five kilometer zone around the affected village for 21 days. No human cases of avian influenza have been detected anywhere in Ukraine.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises travelers to countries with documented H5N1 outbreaks to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces or fluids from poultry or other animals. The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Ukraine that information about avian influenza ("avian flu," "bird flu," "chicken flu"), including suggested precautions, is available in the U.S. Department of State’s “Avian Flu Fact Sheet” at and the U.S. government’s website at www.pandemicflu.gov.



For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Cautions, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

In the event further information is obtained regarding this or any other security or safety situation in Ukraine, the Embassy will provide updates via this same channel and on the Embassy’s web page: http://kiev.usembassy.gov/. American citizens who need to contact the Embassy may do so during working hours by calling the main Embassy telephone number at (38-044) 490-4000. The Embassy’s duty officer may be reached after hours via this same number, or by contacting (38-050) 311-1796.