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H5N1 Wild Bird Flu Confirmed in Tomsk Region In Russia
Recombinomics Commentary
August 22, 2005
Nevertheless, according to the colleagues to press- service, on 22 August Tomsk provincial veterinary laboratory entered 3 539 tests of blood serum the influenza of birds. From them from the poultry processing facilities - 1 645 tests, synanthropic bird (pigeons) - 32, domestic (hen, duck, geese) - 1 534, wild - 319, the zoo (it is Seversiy) - 9 tests. Study of 3 535 tests gave negative result. In the blood serum from the wild duck, killed on 15 August in The verkhneketskeye region, are revealed the antibodies to the virus of influenza Nshch in caption 1:32. In the blood serum from two wild ducks, which entered from Orlovki Of the tegul'detskeyeo region, are revealed the antibodies to the virus of the influenza of birds Nshch in caption 1:16. In the blood serum from the crow, that entered on 19 August from Tegul'deta, are revealed the antibodies to the virus of the influenza of birds Nshch in caption 1:32. The cases of disease and case of poultry in the territory of Tomskaya province it is not registered.
The above comments indicate H5N1 wild bird flu was detected in three wild ducks and a crow in the province of Tomsk. Earlier reports had indicated that there were unconfirmed reports of bird deaths in Tomsk, but the province has still not been added to the list of seven provinces or territories in Siberia testing positive for H5N1. It is unclear if the failure to include Tomsk is related to the failure to find evidence of the virus in domestic poultry.
However, H5N1 in migrating birds can cause additional problems. There is an outbreak of meningitis in Tomsk that is linked to swimming in an uncovered reservoir. There was no mention of any testing of the meningitis cases for bird flu, although the outbreak is between areas where bird flu has been detected (see map). The latest positives include areas in the southwest corner of Tomsk, suggesting that H5N1 has moved into additional provinces to the west and south. However, these areas are sparsely populated and detection of H5N1 beyond migrating birds may be challenging.
More information on these isolates would be useful These birds may represent H5N1 traveling to the west and south of the Siberian epicenter at Chany Lake in Novosibirsk. Their relationship to the isolates in Erkhel Lake in Mongolia would be useful. The positives in Tomsk and Mongolia may represent H5N1 that is now re-entering China in route to additional countries such as South Korea and Japan, where H5N1 has been reported previously.
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