June 28, 2006

Bird flu intensifies in Russia's Tuva Republic

The Siberian office of the Russian emergencies ministry Tuesday (Jun 27) said the outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the constituent Tuva Republic was intensifying.

The emergencies ministry first reported Jun 23 that 169 dead wild birds had been collected from the Ubsu-Nur Lake in the Ovyursky district of the Tuva Republic, and the presence of H5N1 in their blood samples had been confirmed by the Kemerovo veterinary laboratory.

Tuesday's statement said wild bird deaths were continuing, with 371 new deaths reported by Sunday afternoon. A total 1,622 birds have died since the first were found on the lake Jun 15.

The emergencies ministry warned further outbreaks were likely towards the end of July among young wild birds, as their immunity to the disease was weak.