The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) announced on Tuesday that Iraq had reported an outbreak of a highly contagious strain of avian influenza among poultry in the northern part of the country.

According to the Paris-based organization, citing an Iraqi government report, the highly deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was discovered in flocks in Bashiqa, Nineveh province, resulting in the deaths of 12,000 birds.

Iran has also announced an outbreak of the same strain this month, according to Sky News Arabia.

Following bird flu outbreaks in Iran, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture issued a ban on the import of all sorts of poultry and birds last Thursday.

After Iran’s disclosure of poultry cases, the ministry’s veterinary section increased preventive measures through specialized teams, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).