AVIAN INFLUENZA IN RUSSIA

Immediate notification report

Translation of information received on 24 July 2005 from Dr Evgueny A. Nepoklonov, Head of the Main Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Moscow:

Report date: 24 July 2005 (see also Disease Information, 18 [29], 212, dated 22 July 2005).

Precise identification of agent: influenza virus type A. The haemagglutinin subtype has been preliminarily identified (from pathological material) as H5. After confirmation by virus isolation a separate notification will be sent. Tests are being performed to determine the neuraminidase type.

Date of first confirmation of the event: 23 July 2005.

Date of start of the event: 18 July 2005.

Nature of diagnosis: clinical, post-mortem and laboratory.

Details of outbreak:

Description of affected populations: chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese in backyard holdings in nine villages.

Diagnosis:

Source of outbreaks or origin of infection: an epidemiological analysis has shown that the disease started in a flock in contact with wild waterfowl at open water reservoirs. This is proposed as the primary source of the virus. In addition, there are reports of the disease in wild birds.

Control measures undertaken:

- stamping out;

- quarantine;

- movement control inside the country;

- screening;

- zoning;

- disinfection of infected premises/establishments.

Vaccination prohibited: yes.

Other details/comments:

- Considering the low mortality rate (from 1% to 2.6% depending on the locality), the virus titres are very high in some samples of pathological material.

- No signs of the disease have appeared in commercial poultry farms in the region.

- The reasons for the disease’s lack of species specificity are still unclear. Bacteriological and toxicological tests of samples of water and soil from around the water and feeding points in the affected areas are continuing.

- Newcastle disease virus was not found in samples from the affected areas.

(1) ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

(2) PCR: polymerase chain reaction

Note by the OIE Animal Health Information Department: Changes in the obligations of OIE Member Countries to notify avian influenza (“notifiable avian influenza”), which were adopted during the 73rd OIE General Session in May 2005, will come into effect on 1 January 2006. The OIE Animal Health Information Department is publishing the above report, based on the official notification received from the Delegate of Russia, because of the importance of monitoring the disease situation in Asia.