KIEV, Jan. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday they had confirmed another outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in three poultry farms on Ukraine's southern Crimean peninsula.

    Oleg Rusetsky, head of the region's agriculture department, said that the region had been under surveillance soon after the first H5N1 cases were confirmed in 11 Crimean villages in mid-December.

    He also said this most recent confirmation of the deadly strain was received on Monday and emergency measures were taken to prevent further spread of the virus.

    The deadly virus has so far been identified in 14 Crimean villages and authorities have culled more than 70,000 domestic fowl.

    There was no report of human infection of the virus in Ukraine yet. Enditem