Ukraine's parliament approves state of emergency to combat bird flu

The Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday endorsed President Viktor Yushchenko's decision to declare a state of emergency to combat the country's bird flu outbreak, despite some lawmakers' claims that the move was excessive.

The parliament also urged the president to specify the endurance of the state of emergency and what extra powers it gives local officials.

The bird flu outbreak in the Ukraine appears to have been contained as no more new cases have been detected, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Tuesday.

Up until Sunday more than 2,000 birds had died of the disease in the outbreak. As of Tuesday, 22,318 birds had been destroyed, emergency officials said.

A senior Ukrainian official said earlier in Parliament that the success in combating the virus was due to the government's swift declaration of an emergency state in three Crimean regions where the outbreak occurred.

The decision to declare an emergency was made by President Viktor Yushchenko on Saturday. Two days later he announced that the measures would last for a fortnight.

It is the first time since 1991, when the country separated from the Soviet Union, that a state of emergency has been declared in the Ukraine.

Under the state of emergency, six villages near Sivash Lake, a marshy area where there are large numbers of migratory birds, were put under a quarantine. Movement was restricted and all poultry was to be culled.

Yushchenko visited the region on Monday and promised to compensate residents' losses. He also announced a massive flu inoculation program for more than 60,000 people.

Results of tests to see if the virus is the deadly H5N1 strain are expected by Thursday.

The strain has killed nearly 70 people in Asia since 2003 and has been recorded in birds in European countries such as Romania, Turkey, Croatia and Russia, according to Associated Press.

Experts fear the H5N1 virus could mutate into a new type, which could be easily transmitted from human to human and cause a pandemic.

The Ministry said Tuesday that no case of human infection has been recorded in the Ukraine.

Source: Xinhua