Bird flu was reported Monday in Russia´s Urals region of Chelyabinsk, the sixth region in the country affected by the virus.

    The bird flu virus was found in 60 birds that died in the village of Oktyabrskoye on Saturday and Sunday, Vice Governor of Chelyabinsk Andrei Gasilov told the Interfax news agency.

    To prevent the spread of the epidemic, 400 birds were slaughtered in the village.Quarantine has been imposed in the areasurrounding Oktyabrskoye.

    Chelyabinsk is the westmost region to have been struck by the epidemic so far.

    Other Russian regions hit by the flu include Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Kurgan and Altai.

    The Emergency Situations Ministry said in a press release that the flu has killed 10,896 domestic and wild birds in these regions since its outbreak in mid-July.

    Nearly 500 people are involved in the efforts to contain the epidemic, the press release said.