Three new bird flu cases were found in eastern Romania's villages on Thursday, intensifying threats to the country already harassed by the deadly epidemic.

The new cases were reported in the villages of Bumbacari and Dudescu, Braila County, and Periprava Village in Tulcea County.

It was reported that samples would be sent to a British laboratory to determine whether the infected birds had the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.

After the cases were found, the authorities swiftly sent medical staff to the three villages, quarantining the villages, culling all domestic birds and vaccinating the villagers in Bumbacari and Dudescu. Periprava's residents were vaccinated as early as last month.

Dwellers in the three villages are not allowed to go outside while outsiders and vehicles are forbidden to enter the villages.

Mobile labs have been set up there to monitor possible bird flu cases in the nearby countryside.

Romania's medical department said on Thursday that Vaslui County is still in quarantine after bird flu cases were confirmed there on Nov. 21. More efforts will be made in the county bordering Moldova to prevent the virus from spreading.

Nine bird flu cases have been reported in eastern Romania up to now, but no cases of bird flu in humans have been detected in the country.

The H5N1 strain has led to the killing of tens of thousands of domestic birds in Romania.

The strain has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and led to the culling of millions of domestic birds. Experts fear the virus might mutate into a form that could pass easily from human to human and cause a pandemic.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2005)