October 19 2005, 16:04 APK-Inform

Deadly Н5N1 bird flu virus suspected in a vicinity of Moscow

Press-service of Russian Agriculture Ministry with reference to Federal Service of Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) informed that since the start of the bird flu epizootic in Russia the bird infection with the avian influenza had been confirmed in 51 settlements of the 6 Russian regions. In 90 settlements the poultry stock has been suspected of the disease.

The press-service says as of October 19 in Russian Federation there are 2 bird flu affected settlements and 3 settlements suspected of high likelihood of the disease. These include:

- in Kurgan Oblast - 2 affected settlements and 3 suspected settlements;

- in Novosibirsk Oblast - quarantine has been lifted from 1 earlier suspected settlement, 16 suspected settlements remain under quarantine regime.

In Altai Krai, Chelaibinsk, Omsk and Tiumen Oblasts all earlier affected or suspected settlements are said to have been sanitised; quarantine restrictions have been lifted.

Department of Agriculture of Tula Oblast (the region located about 250 km south of Moscow) has informed that on October 14 a murrain of birds of an acute infectious disease started in 6 households of the village of Yandovka of Yefremov Raion. The total stock of birds in the village is said to have numbered 3,000 heads, whereof 493 heads kept in the infected households, whereof 220 heads died off. The clinical picture of the disease gave reason to suspect the bird flu disease and quarantine restrictions were imposed upon the village (isolation of birds in the households, bans for transportation of birds, the breeding products and feeds, disinfection barriers at the village boundaries, etc.).

On October 18 the National Reference Laboratory on Bird Flu in the city of Vladimir, on examining the samples taken from the ill poultry in the village, set the preliminary diagnosis. It detected presence of antigen and genetic material of Н5N1 subtype of bird flue virus in some of the samples. Investigations are said to be currently made into genetic structure of the virus and its connection with the virus which caused the outburst of infection in the east of the country.

The poultry stock in the infected households is being completely slaughtered.