MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has recorded the first case of a strain of avian flu virus called A (H5N8) transmitted to humans from birds and has reported the matter to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anna Popova, head of consumer health said watchdog Rospotrebnadzor Saturday.
Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months, but only in poultry so far. Other strains – H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 – are known here) to spread to humans.
Russia reported the case of human infection to the WHO “a few days ago, just when we were absolutely sure of our results,” Popova said on Rossiya state television 24. There was no sign of transmission between humans yet, she added.
Seven workers at a poultry factory in southern Russia were infected with the H5N8 strain during an outbreak at the factory in December, Popova said, adding that the individuals involved were now feeling fine. “This situation has not evolved,” she said.
In an email, the European branch of the WHO said Russia had been notified of a case of human infection with H5N8 and acknowledged that this would be the first time the tribe had infected humans, if confirmed.
“Preliminary information indicates that the reported cases involved workers exposed to bird flocks,” the email said. “They were asymptomatic and no further human-to-human transmission was reported.
“We are in talks with national authorities to gather more information and assess the public health implications of this event,” said the email.
Most avian influenza infections in humans have been associated with direct contact with infected live or dead poultry, although properly cooked food is considered safe.
Bird flu outbreaks often prompt poultry farms to kill their birds to prevent the virus from spreading and to avoid importing countries from imposing trade restrictions.
The vast majority of cases are spread by migrating wild birds, so producing countries tend to keep their poultry indoors or protect them from contact with wildlife.
The Vector Institute of Siberia said Saturday it would begin development of human tests and a vaccine against H5N8, the RIA news agency reported.
Reporting by Polina Devitt and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Mark Heinrich and David Holmes