H5N1 bird flu virus found on Russian chicken farm

Sep 5 2007

An outbreak of bird flu on a farm in Russia will mean 22,000 chickens will be culled.

The farm in Razdolny, in southern Russia's Krasnodar Territory has already lost over 400 birds from the deadly H5N1 bird flu and another 414 have been culled.

The outbreak is the second in recent months in Russia; the previous outbreak occurred last month in the Chelyabinsk Region, in Russia's southern Urals.

The outbreak of the lethal virus was apparently reported to authorities on Sunday after the birds had already died.

Veterinary authorities say a quarantine had been imposed around the area and say it is unlikely that the chicken meat had reached local markets as preventive measures were taken immediately the virus was suspected.

The highly pathogenic strain of the H5N1 virus is potentially dangerous for humans and experts carefully watch the development of each new outbreak for signs that the virus has mutated into a strain easily transmitted between people.

According to the World Health Organization, to date bird flu has killed 199 people around the world since 2003, primarily in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Currently it remains a disease of animals and is almost always contracted by close contact with infected birds.