Seven people on a poultry farm in southern Russia have tested positive for H5N8 bird flu, officials say, 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,” Anna Popova, head of the Russian Consumer Health Watchdog, said on Saturday. ‘The first cases of human infection with [avian influenza A(H5N8)] laboratory has been confirmed. ”
The virus was found in seven employees at a poultry farm in southern Russia, where outbreaks of H5N8 bird flu have previously been reported in the bird population. According to the news agency Interfax, Popova described the human cases as ‘soft’.
“The virus can be transmitted from birds to humans, it has overcome the species barrier,” Popova said. “As of today, this variant of the flu virus is not transmitted from person to person. Only time will tell how quickly future mutations will allow it to overcome this barrier. ”
Popova said the discovery would help researchers prepare for the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the H5N8 virus. Information on the cases was submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Human cases of H5 viruses are rare but are sometimes found in people exposed to sick or dead birds. In rare cases where people are infected with H5 viruses, it can lead to serious illness or death, according to the World Health Organization.