Commentary
Birds Deaths on Russia Islands Near Japan
Recombinomics Commentary 19:42
June 24, 2008
"On the territory of Sakhalin Region completed its first phase of monitoring studies of influenza and migratory bird species sinatropnyh. The research was carried out on the islands of the Lesser Kuril ridge and the island of Kunashir. Such a complicated expedition was undertaken in connection with the discovery at Cape Notsuke (father of Hokkaido) killed birds, vysokovirulentnym affected by influenza A virus subtype H5 N1 ", - said sobesednitsa Agency.
According to her, management specialists Rosselhoznadzora Research Institute of Virology and RAMS conducted comprehensive arrangements for the shooting and laboratory analysis of material extracted. On the territory of the Russian island signs of dead or sick birds were found.
The above translation describes H5N1 testing on Russian islands just north of Hokkaido, where H5N1 has been confirmed previously (see satellite map). Closely related H5N1 has also been detected in southeastern Russia as well as South Korea. The H5N1 in Japan was in whooper swans, which migrate to the north for the summer.
Like the excessive poultry deaths on Komchatka, thus far the testing has not produced confirmation of H5N1, but the location of the dead or sick birds raises concerns that the Fujian strain of H5N1 is migrating north along the East Asian flyway, which links to Alaska.
More results on these dead and dying birds would be useful. Samples from Kamchatka have been sent to Moscow for further analysis.
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