MOSCOW, Aug. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 10,000 domestic and wild birds have died as a result of bird flu in Russia, a source in the Emergency Situations Ministry press service said on Thursday.

    The death toll of birds has reached 10,170 since July 21, the source told the Interfax news agency.

    The bird flu outbreak started in Altai and Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tyumen regions "because of the migration of wild birds contaminated with flu virus type A H5N1," the source said.

    "Bird flu virus type A H5N1 has the potential to be dangerous to humans, but no one has contracted the disease yet," the sourcesaid.

    Fourteen task forces from Russian ministries and departments are working in the affected areas.

    No bird flu cases have been reported in adjoining regions. Enditem