The first case of human infection with the avian influenza virus in the world has been detected in Russia.

The strain of bird flu virus named AH5N8 has been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) "several days ago", Anna Popova, head of country's consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told state-owned Russian-language news channel Russia 24. 

 

According to Popova, the disease was diagnosed in seven employees of a poultry farm in southern Russia, where an outbreak of bird flu was noted in December last year.

 

Vesti news reported that Popova emphasized that the H5N8 virus can be transmitted from birds to humans, but not from humans to each other. 

 

She informed that the workers of the poultry farm who had recovered from the disease are doing well.

 

Rospotrebnadzor is the federal agency that works to provide oversight and control of wellbeing and consumer rights and protection of the citizens of the Russian Federation. Rospotrebnadzor reports directly to the Government of the Russia. It is also the National Coordinator for WHO International Health Regulations in the country.

 

In India, cases of avian flu among poultry and wild birds have been confirmed in 14 states and UTs till last week. 

 

Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, the Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, had told Rajya Sabha that a total of 4,49,271 birds have been culled due to bird flu in the country during the recent bird flu outbreak. 

 

Surveillance of Avian Influenza (bird flu) has been carried out throughout the country besides deployment of central teams to the states for monitoring and conducting epidemiological investigation of bird flu.