Popular Russian pet market the source of latest bird flu outbreak

Russian veterinary officials have closed down a popular pet market in Moscow after the recent outbreaks of the deadly bird flu were all traced back to the market.

The five outbreaks, which have killed two dozen birds in different villages outside of the city, have been linked to birds bought in the past two weeks at the capital's Sadovod market or "Ptichka" ("Birdie") market.

The head of Russia's veterinary surveillance, Nikolai Vlasov, says laboratory tests have confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus in all five cases was highly pathogenic and potentially dangerous to humans, and is probably related to the Asian strain of the virus.

This is Russia's second outbreak this year and the closest to Moscow ever recorded.

Experts suspect the virus was probably brought to Moscow by migrating birds from the Caucasus or the Middle East.

In January the H5N1 strain killed poultry in three settlements in the southern region of Krasnodar but to date no human cases of bird flu have ever been recorded in Russia.

The virus remains predominantly a disease of birds and is difficult for humans to catch.

It has nonetheless killed 167 people worldwide since 2003, mainly in Asia and in almost all cases the victims had been in direct contact with infected birds.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) a total of 273 cases have been recorded in humans to date worldwide.

Health experts are concerned the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily from human to human, triggering a global pandemic with the potential to kill millions.

In neighbouring Azerbaijan five people out of a total of eight cases have died from the lethal bird flu virus.

Vlasov says restrictions are in place limiting movement to and from the five villages where the bird flu was found, and the Sadovod market remains closed and patrolled by armed guards until further checks are conducted.

A criminal investigation is being undertaken into whether veterinary regulations had been breached at the market.

Other poultry farms around Moscow are also under surveillance, but as yet the poultry industry appears unaffected.

According to the World Animal Health Organisation, which monitors the global bird flu situation, has apparently only received a report from Russia on the bird flu outbreak in Krasnodar in January.

Last year Russia recorded more than 90 bird flu cases in chickens and other birds, which mostly occurred in the North Caucasus region that borders Georgia and Azerbaijan, and in Siberia's Novosibirsk and Omsk regions.

Those people who had been in close contact with the dead poultry were taken to local hospitals and have been under observation but are so far reported to be healthy.

Worldwide health authorities are carefully monitoring the situation as cases of bird flu continue to break out among birds causing widespread concern.