The Romanian Agriculture Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that dozens of fowl in eastern Romania had been infected with the H5 strain of bird flu.

The cases were found in two villages in the districts of Buzau in eastern Romania and Calarasi in the southeast, ministry spokesman Adrian Tibu said.

Tibu said the H5 virus had been detected in dozens of fowl found dead in Tonea, Calarasi, Odaile and Buzau.

An official in Calarasi said both Tonea and Calarasi had been quarantined.

There have so far been H5 outbreaks in 16 areas in Romania.

Romanian veterinary official Raluca Monea said more than 97,700 poultries have been killed in the country since the first case was discovered on Oct. 7.

Neighboring Ukraine has declared a state of emergency and begun culling poultries in parts of the Crimean peninsula after scores of domestic birds died of the H5-type avian flu.