Tests Show First Case Of Bird Flu In Russia's Far East

[Susie]

Tests Show First Case Of Bird Flu In Russia's Far East

http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com...8140003&Take=1

Copyright ? 2006, Dow Jones Newswires


MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Preliminary tests on the blood of five wild birds culled in the village of Starodevitsa near the Russian city of Vladivostok showed symptoms of bird flu, the regional administration announced Friday.

This is the first such case reported in Russia's Far East.

Samples of the birds' blood have been sent to a veterinary laboratory for further tests.

The regional government said spring migration of birds through the region would last another two to three weeks and the danger of the virus spreading throughout the region remained high.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Tests Show First Case Of Bird Flu In Russia's Far East

Vladivostok is just down the waters a little from Alaska. We do business there and have flights.

Glad to see my Russian neighbors being prompt and transparent!


.

[AlaskaDenise]

These birds just flew over Korea with swine & WSN33

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12...2004_H1N1.html
IF this same influenza is present in any Korean swine today, H5N1 might pick up the WSN33 mutations referenced -

This is of significant concern because WSN/33 is a neurotropic component of WS/33, the first human influenza virus isolated. WSN/33 was obtained from serial passages of WS/33 in mouse brains in 1940. It is lethal in mice and is H1N1 so it should also readily infect humans. The N in WSN has lost a glycosylation site and binds plasminogen to facilitate HA cleavage.

This is LAST thing H5N1 needs - NA mutation to bind plasminogen! That's present in the blood, so it would add to the pantropic ability of the multiple amino acids in the HA cleavage site.

Are there any Korean swine still infected with this influenza?

.