# 4818
Yesterday Dutchy on FluTrackers tracked down, translated, and posted an article from a Russian online news source that detailed the die off of `500’ birds.
Crof mentioned this story yesterday here.
First the original reports, then some follow ups:
Unknown virus in Krasnoyarsk lake killed 500 birds
KRASNOYARSK, September 20. On the shore of Lake Tagar in the Krasnoyarsk Territory ornithologists found dead migratory birds.
Among the dead birds - ducks (mallard, Cherokee, shelohvost) and crows. According EMERCOM Russia in Krasnoyarsk region, only found about 500 animals.
In connection with the emergency on the lake and 100-meter zone of sanitary quarantine. 2 posts were put up DPS and get information boards. Moreover, in Minusinsk District banned the hunting passes Ngs.ru
Causes of death of the birds are being investigated. Presumably, the death of the birds could occur as a result of acute viral disease. In this regard, there are already several reports on the return of bird flu.
Since then, the story has evolved (you can follow new reports on this thread), with additional contributions first from Sally Furniss and again from Dutchy.
The cause of mass deaths of migratory birds in the area of Lake Tagar in the Krasnoyarsk Territory became virus type "A"
These are the preliminary findings of the Professional Regional Veterinary Service. According to ITAR-TASS, they completed this morning blood tests dead birds. It is reported that the general form of the virus.
Its varieties are numerous / avian, swine flu, etc. / and represent a significant risk in epidemiological terms. Currently Minusinsk region, where there was an emergency, completed a survey area, the collection of biomass dead birds, which will subsequently be burned. All poultry entered the edge closure of birds.
Apparently the exact type of influenza has not been nailed down, but given the mass die off, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (like H5N1) seems highly likely.
This next report from Dutchy not only asks if this is the return of Bird Flu, but also expands the size of the die off to `thousands’.
There is also a 2.5 minute Russian language news clip you can watch with video of the lake and the collection of dead and dying birds.
Although influenza appears to be the prime suspect here, other possibilities have been floated as well. The article below calls into question the original theory that blamed a blue-green algae bloom as the cause – and casts doubt on this being some kind of man-made toxin.
That said, poisonings (intentional or accidental), are often behind large bird die offs.
For now the culprit does appear to be a flu virus, and the leading candidate is H5N1.
Has bird flu returned?
21/09/2010
In the Krasnoyarsk region trying to find out what caused the mass deaths of migratory birds in the southern region.
In the Lake Tagar found about thousands of dead ducks. Specialists suggest that they died from the virus that is dangerous not only for birds but for the man.
- snip -
Among the dead and sick birds, biologists have discovered not just different species of ducks: mallards, teal, sorokonosku, but even a few crows and wagtails. All dead birds feed in different ways, and this fact is called into question the original version of the epidemic - the poisoning of ducks, blue-green algae.
No companies with environmentally dangerous production next either. Xiii and version of the intentional poisoning of ducks. Such mass mortality of wild birds in the Krasnoyarsk region has never been. And the epidemic is local in character.
More (machinetranslation in English)
News stories out of Russia (or anywhere else, for that matter) should always be taken with a grain of salt. Early reports are often wrong or misleading and `facts’ – such as in the number of birds killed – are often revised in later reports.
Those caveats aside, this incident is definitely worth following. As Crof said yesterday, it reminds one of the Qinghai Lake mass die off in 2005.
Earlier this summer, you may remember I blogged on an H5N1 Avian Flu Wild Bird Deaths On Russian-Mongolian Border.
You can keep tabs on these latest reports by hitting the FluTrackers Thread. Of course, I’ll post any major updates here, as well.
For more on how the volunteer newshounds find, translate, and analyze foreign language news reports like this, you might wish to read Newshounds: They Cover The Pandemic Front.
