#13,373
While it isn't all that unusual to see avian flu activity in Russia during the spring and summer, the past five months have been unusually quiet, with nothing reported out of Russia since a large HPAI H5N2 outbreak was announced last December.
That is, until last week.In Rosselkhoznadzor & OIE: HPAI H5 Reported In Kursk Oblast, we learned of at least two outbreaks of an HPAI H5 virus (full subtype not yet identified) in Kursk Oblast.
The first in a small backyard flock in the village of N. Grayvoronka, and the second involved carcasses of poultry (chickens), found in the forest belt Ryshkovskogo.While the Kursk Oblast office of Rosselkhoznadzor hasn't posted an update since June 14th, Russian media continues to report continued avian flu activity in the region, including this report from TASS.
In the Kursk region registered the third hearth of bird flu In the country
June 19, 18:12 UTC + 3
The governor of the region Alexander Mikhailov signed a decree on the introduction of quarantine in the district where the identified disease foci
Kursk, 19 June. / TASS /. Experts have registered the third focus of avian influenza in the territory of Kursk region. This was reported by TASS on Tuesday in the regional veterinary administration.
"At the moment we have [the flu outbreak of bird] in the Soviet area - two personal subsidiary farms in the same locality, in the Kursk region - a waste of bird carcasses, and the third case - the village Vasilevka This is also the Soviet area, but another location." , - said the source.
Experts have identified the first influenza virus hotbed of avian type A subtype H5 in the Kursk region last week in pathological material taken from dead chickens and ducks in a private farm in the village of Lower Grayvoronke Soviet area, the second - on the territory of the village council shelterbelts Ryshkovskogo Kursk region.
(Continue . . . )
Announced in just the last couple of hours - from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) of the Chelyabinsk region - are reports of fresh outbreaks of avian flu in both Samara and Penza, both of which lie several hundred miles to the west of Chelyabinsk.
Cases of bird flu in the Samara and Penza regions
Office of Rosselkhoznadzor for the Chelyabinsk region informs that on 16 and 17 June in the pathological material taken from the fallen poultry contained in private farms in Bolsheglushitsky district of the Samara region and Kolyshleysky District Penza region highlighted the genetic material of the virus avian influenza.
In Bolsheglushitsky district of the Samara region and Kolyshleysky District Penza Oblast cases poultry deaths recorded contained in private farms. Also Kolyshleysky District Penza Oblast cases deaths recorded turkey, contained in the Company 'PenzaMolInvest "at the site of rearing and fattening. Laboratory confirmed that the isolated genetic material of the virus avian influenza.
In areas all measures are taken to prevent the spread of avian influenza.
Recall that the avian influenza - a highly contagious, acute viral proceeding affecting agricultural, commensal and wild birds disease affecting the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Avian influenza is able to take the form of epizootic diseases, causing massive population coverage and having widespread. In unfavorable aviary suspicious diseased and disease in poultry discarded kill bloodless manner and utilized. Apparently healthy livestock are killed for meat. In the case of visiting poultry farms (farms) bird flu, caused by the highly pathogenic virus, introduced stringent sanitary operation of the economy.
In the Chelyabinsk region avian influenza was detected in 2005. Then killed 480 birds, 500 more were killed in the village of Oktyabrsky Oktyabrsky district.
Curiously, as of this writing, I can find no mention of these outbreaks on either the main Rosselkhoznadzor website, or on the Samara or Penza local web portals.
Since avian flu activity during the summer in Russia has previously been linked to seeing increased outbreaks in Europe later in the year (see FAO/EMPRES: H5N8 Clade 2.3.4.4 Detected Over Summer In Russia), we pay attention to these types of events.After several months of quiescence, over the past week we've seen a bit of a surge in avian flu reports in the Northern Hemisphere; specifically in Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, and now multiple locations in Russia
A subtle reminder that with the constant migration and mixing of potentially infected birds around the globe, that avian flu viruses have the ability to pop up when and where you least expect them.
And that biosecurity against poultry diseases is now - out of necessity - a year-round endeavor.
