MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. No human cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus have been registered in Russia so far, although the virus emerges in birds from time to time, a Russian research institution has told TASS.
"No human cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus have ever been registered in Russia, but it is registered in birds from time to time. Our country has effective veterinary vaccines against this virus, and prototypes of a human vaccine. Antiviral drugs from the class of neuraminidase inhibitors are also effective against this infection," the Vektor Center of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has said in a statement.
According to the statement, Russian veterinarians and medical workers strictly comply with rules and regulations, intended to prevent the infection from being transmitted to humans.
"Undoubtedly, the H5N1 bird flu virus can be dangerous for humans. It can be transmitted from animals to humans, but no cases of human-to-human transmission have been registered so far," Russian scientists said. ‘This strain of the virus is dangerous because of its ability to spread quickly in the lower respiratory system, causing viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome."
For the first time, outbreaks of this highly infectious bird flu virus came into spotlight in 1996. Starting from 2003, cases of the infection were being registered among people who came in close contact with infected birds, such as poultry industry workers. The majority of cases were reported in Southeast Asia, although sporadic cases also occurred in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.