Russia finds H5N1 bird flu strain in southern yards
Pastor Dale Morgan
Russia finds H5N1 bird flu strain in southern yards*
29 Jan 2007 16:44:57 GMT
Source: Reuters
MOSCOW, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia has recorded its first cases this year
of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in dead domestic birds,
the country's animal and plant health agency said on Monday.
Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement the virus was detected in dead
birds found in three domestic yards in the Krasnodar region of southern
Russia.
"Yes, it's H5N1," a spokesman for the agency said, when asked to confirm
the strain of the virus.
Rosselkhoznadzor said measures were being taken to prevent the spread of
infection in the three settlements where cases were found -- Labinsk,
Upornaya and Borodinskaya.
The agency said tests had been carried out in regional laboratories and
further tests would now be conducted in Moscow.
Russia recorded more than 90 cases of bird flu last year. Most were in
southern regions, particularly the North Caucasus area that borders
Georgia and Azerbaijan. Several cases were also found in the Siberian
regions of Novosibirsk and Omsk.
The outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza began in Asia in 2003 and outbreaks
have been confirmed in about 50 countries and territories.
Bird flu has killed 164 people from a total 270 cases recorded in humans
since 2003, World Health Organisation data shows. At least 200 million
birds have been culled worldwide.
No human cases have ever been recorded in Russia. Five people have died
from eight cases in neighbouring Azerbaijan.