First cases known from Russia: Avian flu AH5N8 spreads to humans

Saturday 20th February 2021

First cases known from Russia
Avian influenza AH5N8 spreads to humans

For the first time worldwide, cases are reported of the avian flu virus AH5N8 spreading to humans. In Russia, seven workers in a fattening farm are infected. Your health is stable. So far there is no evidence of transmission between people.
In Russia, a certain avian flu pathogen has spread to humans for the first time. Seven workers in a fattening farm in southern Russia were infected with the AH5N8 virus in December, said the head of the consumer protection agency, Anna Popova, to the television broadcaster Rossija 24. So far, there has been no evidence of the virus being transmitted between people.

 The  World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of the case several days ago, Popova said.  The  sick workers felt “good”. So far only infections with the bird flu virus H5N1 were known in humans.

Avian flu, also known as avian influenza, occurs both in wild birds and repeatedly in poultry farms. In Germany, too, it has been repeatedly detected in the past, for example in several wild birds in northern Germany at the end of last year. As a rule, the virus is fatal for the birds, and a threat to humans has not yet been assumed.

 The  last major outbreak of avian influenza in Germany and other European countries occurred in the winter of 2016/17. In the Federal Republic of Germany, hundreds of thousands of animals were culled in poultry farms in order to curb the action.  The  last bird flu outbreak occurred in Bulgaria. In early February, more than 160,000 ducks were therefore culled on two duck farms.