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Seven people at a poultry farm in southern Russia have tested positive for H5N8 avian influenza, officials said, making it the first time the highly pathogenic virus has been found in humans. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
“Today I want to inform you about an important scientific discovery made by scientists at the Vector Scientific Center,” said Anna Popova, responsible for consumer health surveillance in Russia, on Saturday. “The first cases of human infection with [avian influenza A(H5N8)] have been laboratory confirmed. “
The virus was found in seven workers at a poultry farm in southern Russia, where outbreaks of H5N8 avian influenza had previously been reported in the bird population. Popova called the human cases “mild,” according to the Interfax news agency.
“The virus can be transmitted from birds to humans, it has overcome the interspecies barrier,” Popova said. “To date, this variant of the flu virus is not spread from person to person. Only time will tell how quickly future mutations will allow it to overcome this obstacle. “
Popova said the discovery will help researchers prepare for the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the H5N8 virus. Information on the cases has been submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Human cases of the H5 virus are rare but are sometimes found in people exposed to sick or dead birds.
239 human cases of H5N1 avian flu have been reported in China and Southeast Asia since 2003, killing 134 people, according to the WHO. Two people in China were also infected with H5N6 bird flu in January this year, resulting in the death of a three-year-old girl.
“Raising community awareness of potential dangers to human health is essential to prevent infection in humans,” WHO said in a public health assessment for H5 viruses. “Surveillance should be continued to detect human cases and the first changes in the transmissibility and infectivity of viruses.”
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