Paris: Ukraine reported an outbreak of a highly contagious bird flu virus among backyard birds in the southern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday, citing a report from the Ukrainian government.

After veterinary services were informed of an increase in mortality among birds in the village of Novooleksandrivka near the Black Sea, samples were taken from the dead birds and showed a positive result for highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza, the Ukrainian authorities said.

It was not clear whether it was the H5N8 virus which has been found among wild birds and farms across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Egypt meanwhile reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus in two wild birds in the northern part of the country, the  OIE said on Wednesday, citing a report from the Egyptian farm ministry.

Two common coots were found dead in Damietta during routine epidemiological surveillance activity, the Egyptian authorities said in the report.

Reuters