05.12.2005

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Monday dismissed Ukraine’s Head of State Veterinary Department of Ukraine, Petro Verbytsky, in response to the delayed reporting of a virulent avian influenza outbreak.
The decision was announced when he was touring one of the affected villages in the Crimea peninsula where he declared a state of emergency at the weekend.
Verbytsky had already offered to resign earlier for allegedly not taking quick action to keep Ukraine free of avian influenza.
The avian influenza outbreak in Ukraine was reported on December 3. But villagers have complained that their birds had been dying since September with officials taking no action.
On Sunday, troops were mobilized to go door to door to collect and kill chickens, ducks and geese in the Crimea peninsula. Officials ordered the slaughter of all poultry in five affected villages. They estimated 20,000 poultry would be destroyed.