H5N1 Bird Flu in Poultry in Novosibirsk Russia
Recombinomics Commentary
May 10, 2006
Bird flu has been registered in the Kochkovo district, the Novosibirsk region, Siberia, the head of the Russian agriculture watchdog, Sergei Dankvert, told.
"H5N1 virus has been found in non-vaccinated poultry in private households of the Reshety village," he said.
So far the flu has killed 64 birds. The village has 35,000 poultry, Dankvert said.
The detection of H5N1 in domestic poultry in Novosibirsk suggests the H5N1 outbreaks in Russia will be more severe this year than last year's outbreaks in Novosibirsk were reported in July, following the massive outbreak at Qinghai Lake in May. The H5N1 in southern Siberia lasted throughout the summer and declined when the wild waterfowl began to fly south.
This year, in addition to H5N1 in domestic poultry described above, there have been reports of wild waterfowl with H5 antibodies in Altai as well as northwestern Russia. H5N1 has also been reported rfecently in two counties in Qinghai Province.
As H5N1 migrates back to Russia from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, and China, more H5N1 infections are expected.
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