RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area Feb 16 - 22

[Mingus]

Re: Article downplays infected farmers

http://www.kommersant.com/p-10133/r_530/bird_flu/

Feb. 17, 2007
<script language="JavaScript"> function sendLink(){ showWin('/mailto.asp?subj='+escape('Link to Kommersant page')+'&body='+escape(document.location)); return false; } </script> <!-- include virtual="/inc/showWin.asp"--> Bird Flu in Moscow Region
// Two people put into hospital
The Russian Emergencies Ministry held exercises on fighting against bird flu in Pushkino village, Omsk Region. Infected poultry extermination.
Photo: Sergey Bykhovez



Two farmers of Moscow Region have been put into hospital on suspicion of being infected with bird flu virus strain deathly for humans, said Vesti 24 TV channel. According to Russia?s chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko, the discovered virus is the H5N1 strain, life-threatening for people.

Alexei Panteleev, acting governor of Moscow Region, said that strict quarantine is now imposed on all bird farms in the region.

It is the second case of avian flu in Russia in 2007. The first case was discovered in three farms of Krasnodar area in late January 2007.

The H5N1 strain of avian flu virus was first discovered in 2003 in South-East Asia, and was then carried by migrating birds to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Nearly 150 people and over 200 million of birds have died of H5N1 virus.

Despite all efforts of doctors, the effective vaccine was not found yet. There still remains the risk of global epidemic. The World Bank estimated that should it happen, the world economy will lose about 3 percent of the gross national product (GNP), which is equal to $1 trillion of damages for global economy.

www.kommersant.com

[Theresa42]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

babelfished from Russian:

Poultry-breeding production from the Moscow area is not dangerous for the health

MOSCOW, 17 Februay - RIA of news, Ekaterina Yefimova. Eggs and meat of the birds, that are produced in the enterprises of the Moscow area, are safe for the health, declares Rossel'khoznadzor. On Friday in the Odintsovskeye and Domodedovo regions of Moscow region were registered the cases of the case of bird from the influenza.

"The eggs, which are sold in the stores, this the production of poultry processing facilities. But we have three dead turkeys on one podvor'e. What connection? Let they buy even further", said RIA of news the chief for the administration of the veterinary supervision of Rossel'khoznadzora Nikolai Vlasov, after calming down the inhabitants of Moscow and region.

Vlasov reported that in the morning on Saturday in Rossel'khoznadzore took place the conference, dedicated to situation in the Moscow area in connection with the loss of several head of bird.

"We have several birds, to approximately tri-shest' heads in two particular podvor'yakh. The virus of the influenza of birds is selected from them. I emphasize - this is bird influenza. It will be accurately known that this for the strain, toward the evening of Sunday", said Vlasov.

He emphasized that it does not be worthwhile to force situation, since birds accurately unknown from what precisely perished.

According to the chapter for administration, Rossel'khoznadzor are carried out all necessary measures for the non-admission of the propagation of virus in order to prevent epizootic disease if this is the Chinese strain of influenza H5N1.

"Sick birds are destroyed and contacted with them also, the disinfection of house ownerships is carry ouied. We conduct monitoring, sample of material from the poultry in the adjacent houses. Material is sent for the central veterinary laboratory in order to determine, to eat other cases in these regions", said Vlasov.

He recalled that here already two years all poultry-breeding economies of Russia work in the regime of the increased safety.

"To workers it is forbidden to have poultry [i.e. at home] in order to minimize the risk of the drift of infection in enterprise. Naturally, now the measures of control will be still stiffened", said Vlasov.

He reminded Russians that the virus of the influenza of bird perishes at a temperature of 60 degrees.

"To cook bouillon there are eggs possible", said Vlasov.

http://www.rian.ru/society/20070217/60881232.html

[HenryN]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

In the farmer economies of Moscow region the bird influenza is revealed

Several workers of the farmer economies of Moscow region are hospitalized with the suspicion to the bird influenza. As on 16 February reports "Echo of Moscow" with the reference to the data of i.o. of the governor of region Domodedovo and Zvenigorod. Entire bird in the economies is destroyed.
Specialists check, with what precisely strain of virus the discussion deals. The main sanitary doctor of Russia </SCR"+"IPT>");

http://world.altavista.com/babelfish...%2f784099.html</SCRIPT>

<!--div id="liadv"></div-->

[Theresa42]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

babelfished from Russian:

In the Moscow area - the bird influenza
Feb 16, 2007

Several workers of the farmer economies of the Moscow area are hospitalized with the suspicion to the bird influenza. As it stated in the interview for Interfaksu that acting of the governor of region Aleksey Panteleyev.lyudi they were hospitalized into the hospitals Domodedovo and Zvenigorod. Entire bird in the economies is destroyed. As it communicates, specialists check, with what precisely strain of virus the discussion deals. However, the main sanitary doctor of Russia Gennadi Onishchenko stated "RIA-news" that the variety of virus H5N1 extremely dangerous for the man became the reason for the case of bird in the Domodedovo region.

http://echo.msk.ru/news/360246.html

[Anne]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

http://www.newsru.com/russia/17feb2007/kury.html

theresa, here you have something : I don't know if you have translate :

turkeys and hens bought to the same salesman on a market of mouscou

[HenryN]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

http://www.newsru.com/russia/17feb2007/kury.html

theresa, here you have something : I don't know if you have translate :

turkeys and hens bought to the same salesman on a market of mouscou

All patients ****yu the "ptichim influenza" of hen were purchased in Moscow in one and the same salesman Hens, dead persons from the "bird influenza" in two regions of the Moscow area, were purchased on the bird market in Moscow in one and the same salesman, stated the minister of agriculture and foodstuffs of Moscow region of Nikolai savenko, coming out at the special session of the commission for the extraordinary situations of region on Saturday. According to his data, on 11 February the inhabitant of the settlement Pavlovian, which is located within the boundaries of the urban district Domodedovo, purchased five hens and two turkeys on the bird market in Moscow. They fell into the same day of hen. A preliminary study of the central scientific methods veterinary laboratory of Moscow region showed the presence of "bird influenza". In the second case the inhabitant Of shikhovo settlement, entering the urban district Zvenigorod, on 9 February purchased hen in the same pavilion on the "bird market" in Moscow. Through several days this hen died, and seven additional hens fell together with it. The results of a study also gave preliminary diagnosis - "bird influenza", noted Savenko. In this case he emphasized that the final results of examination will be declared by the specialists of the central scientific methods veterinary laboratory of the Moscow Minsel'khoz - Ministry of Agriculture on Monday. Savenko it at the same time added that all preventive measures in the villages Pavlovian and Shikhovo were undertaken in time - livestock of yard bird is destroyed, people, which contacted with the bird, were undertaken for the observation of doctors. "now our associates from Moscow conduct our own investigation, explaining as the bird, infected" by bird influenza ", I could fall on market", noted Savenko.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Moscow Reg bird flu under control, no ill people

17.02.2007, 13.29


</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=news><TD></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">MOSCOW, February 17 (Itar-Tass) -- The bird flu situation in the region around Moscow causes no serious concern. There are no ill people, Russian chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko said on Saturday.

All the people are healthy, and medical and veterinary services' reaction is adequate, he said in a live news broadcast on Russian Television Channel One.

The situation is not alarming at present, Onishchenko said, noting that no more outbreaks were reported.

The Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control Service's spokesman Alexei Alexeyenko noted that the outbreaks at two private poultry yards were not large. The outbreaks are prevented from spreading, all the appropriate measures are taken, quarantine is imposed and disinfection is conducted, he said.

Tests are being conducted now to establish what kind of the flu virus caused the disease, the spokesman added.

Birds died in two private farms in the Domodedovo and Odintsovo districts of the Moscow region. The cases were reported on February 16.

The Moscow Region's Acting Governor Alexei Panteleyev told Itar-Tass that all the poultry farms would be inspected during this Saturday. Veterinarians will continuously monitor the state of birds in farms, Panteleyev said.

Quarantine measures were tightened up in farms on Friday evening. It means that only a strictly limited number of people can enter the farms, and their health will be monitored.

All the people who could be near the infected birds will be also under monitoring, the spokesman said.

Specialists shoot wild birds near poultry farms in the region.

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11261618&PageNum=0

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Specialists shoot wild birds near poultry farms in the region.

I assume this is for the same reasons as before - for testing to find out which strains are nearby.

.

[HenryN]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Bird flu identified on two farms near Moscow, strain unknown

MOSCOW - All poultry farms in the Moscow region have been put under under strict quarantine, following the identification of the bird flu virus at two farmsteads, acting Moscow regional governor Alexei Panteleyev told Itar-Tass.


He said the access to poultry farms will be limited, and local personnel will be under permanent medical surveillance.

All wild birds that may appear within the poultry farms? range will be shot down, eh said.

The poultry farms near Moscow have had similar quarantines before, but precautious are tighter this time.

Bird flu has been detected in the Moscow region, but the strain is yet unknown, Federal Veterinarian and Phytosanitary Control Service spokesman Alexei Alexeyenko told Itar-Tass.

He said the service is testing blood samples of the birds that died at two farmsteads in the Domodedovo and Odintsovo districts.
ThePoultrySite News Desk

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/11089/bird-flu-identified-on-two-farms-near-moscow-strain-unknown

</B></B></B></B></B></B></B></B>

[HenryN]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Russian experts quarantine Moscow suburb as experts check for possible deadly bird flu strain

The Associated Press Saturday, February 17, 2007

MOSCOW Experts quarantined parts of two suburban Moscow districts Saturday as they checked whether domestic poultry were killed by the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain.
Two dozens birds in total had died in the Odintsovo and Domodedovo districts, and officials were taking worst-case precautionary measures pending the outcome of further tests, senior veterinary official Nikolai Vlasov said in televised comments.
Tests to determine whether the virus was the H5N1 strain could be completed as early as Saturday evening, federal agricultural oversight agency Rosselkhoznadzor spokesman Alexei Alexeyenko told The Associated Press.
Russia saw its first cases of bird flu in Siberia in 2005, and outbreaks have since occurred further west, but mostly in southern areas distant from the capital. If confirmed as H5N1, the most recent bird deaths would be the first outbreaks recorded so close to Moscow.
No human cases of bird flu have been reported in Russia.
Bird flu cases were registered in 93 towns or settlements in Siberia and southern Russia last year, according to RIA-Novosti. The country's first outbreak this year was registered last month in the Krasnodar territory, an agricultural region near the Black Sea.
Since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003, the H5N1 strain has killed at least 167 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/17/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Bird-Flu.php

[Theresa42]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Thanks, Anne! And Doc Niman for the translation:

In the second case the inhabitant Of shikhovo settlement, entering the urban district Zvenigorod, on 9 February purchased hen in the same pavilion on the "bird market" in Moscow.

[unpathedhaunt]

&quot;NO FARMERS ILL&quot; ?

No threat to humans amid Russian bird flu scare

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070217/hl_afp/russiahealthflu_070217114323&printer=1;_ylt=AlBIkNtHs.S9kUWGNN4BBTGKOrgF

A Russian veterinary official rejected reports that humans has been infected with bird flu in the Moscow region after an outbreak of the disease killed several birds and led to testing for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.
"Information about the infection of humans with bird flu is false," Nikolai Vlasov, director of veterinary inspection for agricultural agency Rosselkhoznadzor, told AFP on Saturday.
"We have detected the bird flu virus in several birds at two private farms in the Odintsovo and Domodedovo areas of Moscow region. Tests are being conducted as to the strain of the virus, though results will be available no earlier than Sunday evening," Vlasov said.
Vlasov also said the farms had been disinfected and quarantined, and that there was no danger in consuming eggs from local poultry producers.
The official's comments followed reports Saturday that dozens of poultry had died in a bird flu outbreak and that several farmers had been hospitalized with symptoms of the disease.
Regional health officials were taking blood samples from domestic birds within a three-kilometre (two-mile) radius of the two farms and maintaining visual observation of domestic birds within a 10 kilometre radius Saturday, Interfax news agency.
In an interview with Channel One television Saturday, chief Russian epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko repeated previous comments that the H5N1 strain was responsible for the deaths, citing "veterinary services."
H5N1 was registered in late January in poultry plants in the Krasnodar region, just over 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of the capital.
The strain, which first emerged in Asia, has caused 270 reported human infections worldwide since 2003 and killed 164 as of last month.

[yielddude]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Third bird flu site detected in Moscow Region - acting governor
17:11 | 17/ 02/ 2007



MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - A third avian flu outbreak has been detected at a private farm in the Moscow Region, the acting governor said Saturday.

"A resident of the Podolsk District [south of Moscow] bought a chicken on Moscow's Ptichy pet market, and forty-four birds at his farmstead died as a result," Alexei Panteleyev said.

Russia's chief epidemiologist, Gennady Onishchenko, on Friday confirmed bird flu as the cause of poultry deaths in two other households outside the capital - in the southern Domodedovo District and in Odintsovo, to the west.

The animal and plant health watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said earlier Saturday the dead birds there have been traced to the same Moscow market and that they were presumably brought in from other regions.

Russia recorded its first cases of bird flu in August 2005, but until now, outbreaks have occurred only in southern provinces and in Siberia.

All pavilions that sell birds at Moscow's Ptichy market have been closed since Friday, and veterinary inspectors are now looking for any traces of the virus there.

A telephone hotline has been opened for residents of the Moscow Region who bought any birds on the Ptichy market after February 1.

It is yet unclear whether H5N1, a strain potentially lethal to humans, is responsible for the poultry deaths near Moscow, but strict security measures are now being taken all across the region to prevent the virus spreading to commercial farms.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070217/60891083.html

[Theresa42]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

babelfished from Russian:

Specialists explain, is dangerous bird influenza in the Moscow area for the people

MOSCOW, 17 February - RIA of news. Bird influenza is discovered in three regions of the Moscow area - Odintsovskom, Domodedovo and Podolskiy. The authorities of Moscow region declare, that the bird killed from the disease was purchased on the bird market in the capital. The part of the pavilions of market is closed.

Specialists explain, is dangerous for the people the strain of the virus of the bird influenza, discovered in the region.

On the loss of bird in Podolskiy region on Saturday in the daytime OF RIA of news reported i.o.gubernatora of region Aleksey Pantelei.

"The inhabitant of Podolskiy of region acquired on the bird market in Moscow one hen. As a result in his economy perished 44 birds", it said the Panteleis.

According to the data of Moscow authorities, on this market was purchased the bird, that fell in the the Odintsovskom and the Domodedovo region.

"Entire bird, destroyed in the Moscow area because of the disease by bird influenza, was purchased by the inhabitants of regional urban districts Zvenigorod and Domodedovo in the beginning of February on the bird market in Moscow in one and the same pavilion", reported the minister of agriculture of Moscow region Nikolai Savenko on Saturday at the special session of the commission for extraordinary situations.

Minister reported that in the beginning of February on the bird market for the capital of five hens and two turkeys acquired the citizen Kim, registered in Nizhniy Novgorod and the removing house in the village Pavlovian of Domodedovo region. Through several days after the loss of this bird and veterinary checking, which revealed infection by bird influenza, was destroyed entire bird in the economy of Kim - 14 hens, three turkeys and 15 show blue.

Living in the settlement Shikhovo in the urban district Zvenigorod the citizen of Aleshin twice acquired on the same bird market for hens. In both cases the bird perished. Eight killed hens of Aleshin it returned to the pavilion for the market. "The salesman of their visors and, in our opinion, on the false documents, sent into the laboratory, where the specialists determined the presence of bird influenza", said Savenko.

According to him, entire infected bird is destroyed.

As reported to journalists the main sanitary doctor of Russia Gennadi Onishchenko, the reason for the loss of hens in the farmer economies in the Domodedovo and Odintsovskeye regions became the virus of the bird influenza H5N1.

The authorities of the Moscow area opened "hot line" for the inhabitants of region, who from 1 February of the present year acquired on the bird market in Moscow for any birds.

"By all facts, who from 1 February acquired on the bird market on the southeast of Moscow domestic or any other bird, it is necessary to ring on telephone (495) 699-91-02. According to this number all rung will obtain consultations on further actions, councils for rotation with this bird", said i.o.gubernator of the Moscow area the Panteleis.

All bells, which entered the "hot line", will leave both for the central staff of the ministry of agriculture of region and for territorial administration of Rospotrebnadzora on the region.

Ctolicnye authorities report that until on the bird market it is discovered the facts, which confirm, that the disease fell into the region precisely from there.

"No confirmation, what bird, dead [individual birds] from some infection, from the market gardener is not", reported RIA of news the representative of the press-service of the department of prodresursov of Moscow Leonid ivakin.

However, according to him, since the information such was, the part of the bird market, on which they deal in bird, from Friday it is closed.

On Saturday from eight mornings on this part of the market works the commission, into which enter the specialists of the capital committee of veterinary science, Rospotrebnadzora and other services. "On the statement of the representative of commission from Rospotrbenadzora on Moscow of Yevgeny Savicha, entire bird on the bird market is healthy", said Ivakin.

According to him, the results of analyses [i.e. tests on birds in the market] will be known on Monday-Tuesday.

The Press-secretary of the capital committee of veterinary science Olga Seregina it said to agency that until it is early to speak about any results of checking on the bird market.

"I can say only that entire domestic agricultural bird, that is sold in Moscow, is provaktsinirovana. We constantly gather tests and conduct monitoring", noted Seregina.

As transmits the correspondent of RIA of news, bird market at the given moment works in the normal mode, with exception of the pavilions, where bird was sold, they were closed.

In the territory of market it is possible to acquire cells, fodder and other equipment for the birds, however, feathered themselves are sold not in one pavilion.

Those arrived on Saturday for the bird market can purchase dogs, cats, decorative rodents, aquarium small fishes, any equipment for the content of these domestic animals.

In those regions of the Moscow area, where the cases of infecting the bird by influenza were fixed, quarantine was introduced, anti-epizootic measures for warning of the spread of disease are conducted.

"In the regions, where the infected hens were discovered, is conducted monitoring the status of the health of bird in a radius of three kilometers from the epicentre of infection", stated the head of the Minsel'khoz - Ministry of Agriculture of region Savenko.

According to him, from the zones, where was fixed infection by bird influenza, it was forbidden the removal of bird it is carried out dezobrabotka of the leaving motor transport. Furthermore, in a radius of 10 kilometers specialist-veterinary surgeons conduct visual observation of the state of poultry.

On the resolution of commission for warning and liquidation of extraordinary situation, on the debris ranges in the region will be carried out the inspection of the state of dead bird. "Entire killed and obtained on the ranges bird they will check against the object of possible infection", it added Savenko.

Also, on the solution of the authorities of region, in the Moscow area measures for control of the work of large poultry processing facilities are stiffened. Beginning from 19 February, the additional vaccination of bird in these zones will begin. "Indeed the motion of bird occurs constantly, there is not in the form its migration, they can sell birds on the markets; also it constantly is born", noted minister.

Are increased the measures of sanitary safety, also, in the enterprises of the food industry of the capital.

"At the poultry processing facilities is make rigde quarantine regime. Measures are taken, in order not to allow penetration to pishcheproizvodstvo of viruses", said RIA of news the first deputy chief of the department of prodresursov of Moscow Gennadi Lifintsev.

According to him, if necessary they will fire back wild birds near the poultry processing facilities.

Moscow bird influenza does not threaten people, count the specialists of Rospotrebnadzora.

"There were cases of infection by the bird influenza of people in the Moscow area not and it is not assumed", she stated the leader for territorial administration of Rospotrebnadzora on Moscow region Olga Gavrilenko.

"A quantity of sick people by usual influenza in the region now scarcely higher than it was in the past year. However, there are no fears relative to possible flash as yet", noted Gavrilenko, after adding, that the situation with the morbidity of the inhabitants of region by influenza is under the control.

The chief for the administration of the veterinary supervision of Rossel'khoznadzora Nikolai Vlasov calmed down the inhabitants of Moscow and region, after stating that the Moscow poultry-breeding production was safe for the health.

"The eggs, which are sold in the stores, this the production of poultry processing facilities. But we have three dead turkeys on one podvor'e. What connection? Let they buy even further ", he said RIA of news.

"We have several birds, to approximately tri-shest' heads in two particular podvor'yakh. The virus of the influenza of birds is selected from them. I emphasize - this is bird influenza (dangerous for the people). It will be accurately known that this for the strain, toward the evening of Sunday", said Vlasov.

He emphasized that he does not be worthwhile to force situation, since birds accurately unknown from what precisely perished.

According to the chapter for administration, Rossel'khoznadzor are carried out all necessary measures for the non-admission of the propagation of virus in order to prevent epizootic disease if this is the Chinese strain of influenza H5N1.

"Sick birds are destroyed and contacted with them also, the disinfection of house ownerships is carry ouied. We conduct monitoring, sample of material from the poultry in the adjacent houses. Material is sent for the central veterinary laboratory in order to determine, to eat other cases in these regions", said Vlasov.

He recalled that here already two years all poultry-breeding economies of Russia work in the regime of the increased safety.

In this case it reminded one that the virus of the influenza of bird perishes at a temperature of 60 degrees.

"To cook bouillon there are eggs possible", certified Vlasov.

http://www.izvestia.ru/news/news127190/

[MHSC]

Re: RUSSIA - H5N1 kills poultry in Moscow area / farm workers in hosp

Russia to determine bird flu strain by Sunday
Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:42 AM ET

By Robin Paxton
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Poultry farms around Moscow were under tight control on Saturday as a third outbreak of bird flu was found and health officials investigated whether the deadly H5N1 strain had caused the Russian capital's first exposure to the virus.

Russia's animal and plant health watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, expected results by Sunday evening from tests on dead birds found in two villages near Moscow, said Nikolai Vlasov, the agency's head of veterinary surveillance. More than 30 dead birds were involved in the two cases.

"We are now carrying out tests to determine the nature of the bird flu virus. We don't yet know what type it is and will find out no earlier than Sunday evening," Vlasov told Reuters.


People who had been in contact with the dead birds were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, but showed no signs of any illness, he said.


Russia's latest bird flu outbreak is its second this year and the first ever recorded close to the capital. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain killed poultry in three settlements in the southern region of Krasnodar last month.

Alexei Alexeyenko, press secretary for Rosselkhoznadzor, said the dead birds had been traced to a market on the outskirts of Moscow and had been brought there from other Russian regions.


Nevertheless, poultry which had been in contact with the dead birds had been culled and strict sanitary measures were in place in the two affected villages -- Pavlovskoye, south of Moscow, and Shikhovo, to the west, Vlasov said.


Moscow Region Vice-Governor Alexei Panteleyev was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying a third case had been found on a private farm near Podolsk, south of Moscow, where 44 birds had died. He said the owner had bought the birds at the same market, which has been closed since Saturday morning.


"We are taking very strict measures in case this outbreak was caused by the H5N1 virus," Vlasov said.


Russian news agencies on Friday quoted chief sanitary expert and head of Russia's consumer rights watchdog, Gennady Onishchenko, as saying H5N1 was responsible for the deaths.


STRICT MEASURES
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed 167 people worldwide since 2003, mostly in Asia. Many of the victims had been in direct contact with infected birds.


Health experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that passes easily from human to human, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.


No human cases have been recorded in Russia. Five people have died from eight cases in neighboring Azerbaijan.


Interfax news agency quoted Nikolai Savenko, the Moscow region's minister of food and agriculture, as saying strict measures were in place at all major poultry plants in the area.


"We have tightened control on access to the main poultry plants. At every poultry plant, we will introduce daily monitoring of the condition of birds and the people working with them," the regional minister was quoted by Interfax as saying.


Mosselprom, the Moscow region's largest poultry producer, welcomed the tightened security.


"We always have strict measures in place," Mosselprom's deputy general director, Vadim Kamashev, told Reuters.


"In principle, the strict measures will help everyone. We hope that it will limit uncontrolled poultry breeding," he said.


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

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2007-02-17T134208Z_01_L17160124_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-RUSSIA.xml