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H5N1 has apparently been confirmed outside of the Russian capitol, and strict measures are in place to contain it, according to the latest reports.
Russia confirms H5N1 cases
By Robin Paxton in Moscow
February 18, 2007 07:45am
POULTRY farms around Moscow were under tight control after two cases of bird flu near the capital were confirmed as being the deadly H5N1 strain.
Russia's animal and plant health watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said the positive tests came from dead birds found in two villages near Moscow.
"It was confirmed as H5N1," said Alexei Alexeyenko, press secretary for Rosselkhoznadzor. "Tomorrow we will do more tests and be able to determine how dangerous the virus is."
No human cases of bird flu have been recorded in Russia.
The outbreak is Russia's second this year and the first ever recorded close to the capital. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain killed poultry in three settlements in the southern region of Krasnodar last month.
People who had been in contact with the more than 30 dead birds were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure but showed no signs of any illness, he said.
Mr Alexeyenko said the dead birds had been traced to a market on the outskirts of Moscow and had been brought there from other Russian regions.
Poultry which had been in contact with the dead birds had been culled and strict sanitary measures were in place in the two affected villages - Pavlovskoye, south of Moscow, and Shikhovo, to the west.
Moscow Region Vice-Governor Alexei Panteleyev said that a third case had been found on a private farm near Podolsk, south of Moscow, where 44 birds had died. He said the owner had bought the birds at the same market, which has been closed since yesterday morning.
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