Ukraine finds H5N1 bird flu in Crimea (Reuters)

KIEV (Reuters) - A new outbreak of the strain of bird fluthat is deadly to humans has struck Ukraine after being keptunder control for two years, veterinarians said on Friday.

Ukraine's Veterinary Inspectorate said the outbreak wasdetected this week in the village of Rovnoye in the Crimeanpeninsula, the same region hit in late 2005.

A total of 153 birds died suddenly at a private firm wheremore than 25,000 poultry were kept.

"Yesterday, tests were concluded and DNA of the H5N1 viruswas found," a veterinary inspectorate spokesman, AnatolyOsadchi, told Reuters.

"The village has been sealed off, guards have been postedat entry points and a quarantine is in place. All the birds arebeing incinerated."

The inspectorate said the first six deaths were noted onTuesday, followed by dozens more over the next two days.

The first outbreak of bird flu was detected in Ukraine inlate 2005, in northern Crimea -- a major stopping point onmigratory bird routes. About 30 villages were affected at thattime and tens of thousands of birds were destroyed.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Chris Johnson)