Twelve chickens dead from bird flu in Russia

According to a senior regional health official, another region in European Russia has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus H5N1.

This latest outbreak of bird flu in Russia has apparently killed 12 hens at a private dacha, and authorities there have been forced to cull 53 ducks and impose a strict quarantine.

The outbreak occurred in Tambov, 400 km (250 miles) southeast of Moscow, last week, and according to tests the H5N1 avian flu strain which can infect humans, was confirmed.

The H5N1 avian flu strain has killed more than 60 people in four Asian countries since emerging in 2003 in South Korea.

The fear on the part of health experts is that it could mutate into a strain that could spread from human to human, triggering a worldwide pandemic and killing millions.

Avian influenza (also known as bird flu) is a type of influenza virulent in birds. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide.

Infection

The causative agent is the avian influenza (AI) virus. AI viruses all belong to the influenza virus A genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and are negative-stranded, segmented RNA viruses.

Avian influenza spreads in the air and in manure. Wild fowl often act as resistant carriers, spreading it to more susceptible domestic stocks. It can also be transmitted by contaminated feed, water, equipment and clothing; however, there is no evidence that the virus can survive in well cooked meat.

Cats are also thought to be possible infection vectors for H5N1 strains of avian flu (Kuiken et al, 2004).

The incubation period is 3 to 5 days. Symptoms in animals vary, but virulent strains can cause death within a few days.

The virus which is carried by migratory birds, has now moved west as far as European Russia, Turkey and Romania.

Already countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have taken steps to try to stop migrating birds mixing with domestic fowl, and Croatia is culling more poultry after finding two dead wild swans suspected of having an avian flu strain.

According to Mate Brstilo, who heads the national committee for bird flu prevention, the swans were from the same flock as the initial cases and were confirmed with the same H5-type virus.

Test results were expected this week on the six swans found last week, which should determine if they had H5N1.

Croatian authorities culled some 13,000 birds at the weekend in 500 farms near the pond where the first dead swans were found.

It will now cull poultry around a nearby pond where the latest swans were found.