Russia finds bird flu in new region, suspects more!!New outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of bird flu are likely in Moscow
and the surrounding provinces, the government veterinary service warned Wednesday, as
officials also confirmed the presence of the virus in a southern region of Russia. The virus, which began killing domestic birds in the Moscow suburbs, has been traced to an animal market just outside the capital.Laboratory tests confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu present in all five cases was highly pathogenic and potentially dangerous to humans. Quick measures have allowed to maintain the virus spread. Poultry at locations affected by the outbreak had been killed and several areas had been put under quarantine. It is probably related to the Asian type of the virus. Health officials have traced all the Moscow region outbreaks to birds bought in the last two weeks at the Sadovod market, commonly known as Ptichka, or Birdie.Officials said several people who had been in close contact with the dead birds were under medical observation, but no one has been infected. Many people in the Moscow suburbs keep small numbers of
chickens in their yards. The veterinary service said it would vaccinate birds in towns and villages where the virus has been spotted.Health experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily between humans, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.