October 24, 2005

 

Russia's chicken demand seen normal despite bird flu threat
 

 

The arrival of bird flu in Western Russia this week was greeted with little fuss by the population and the government alike.

 

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was confirmed Wednesday in poultry a village about 350 kilometers southwest of Moscow in the Tula region.

 

Authorities Thursday began to cull birds in the region, and to reassure people that the problem had been contained.

 

Pharmacies sold out of Tamiflu, an antiviral considered a key medical defence in the event of a flu pandemic, but businesses in Western Russia reported little impact on sales of chicken.

 

"Demand (for chicken) hasn't fallen, but people have started asking where it's from," said one Moscow market poultry vendor. A stall whose name contained the name of the region where the infected birds were found Friday displayed a placard assuring shoppers that its produce was now from a different source. Sellers reported that prices had not been cut.

 

The H5N1 strain has devastated poultry industries in South-east Asia and killed more than 60 people. Scientists fear it could mutate into a dangerous strain capable of passing between humans, causing a pandemic.

 

Before the Tula discovery, the last recorded case in Russia was in the Urals region in mid-August.

 

There are no visible warnings against bird flu in Moscow, and Russian officials were quick to play down fears of it spreading to the capital.

 

The head of the Federal Consumer Rights and Welfare Service, Gennady Onishchenko, said Thursday there was no need to ban poultry imports from Tula to Moscow and the Moscow region.

 

"This is all nonsense. The outbreak was registered on private farms that are far from (the city of) Tula, not to mention Moscow," he said.

 

"At the moment, there is no danger to people," he added.

 

Restauranteurs were similarly dismissive.

 

"This is all exaggeration and hysterics. We buy all our poultry from big Moscow farms with high standards of sanitation," said Valeriya Silina, spokeswoman for Rostik Group, Russia's largest restaurant chain, which operates a network of fast-food chicken outlets.

 

Moscow-region farms provide the capital with around 100,000 tons of poultry per year.

 

Silina said that so far there has been no fall in demand for chicken.

 

Vladislav Ivanov, who operates a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in St. Petersburg, also said appetite for chicken has been unaffected, though he is taking no chances.

 

"There is a worry that people may decide against eating chicken and demand for our food will decline. It hasn't yet, yesterday and today, we still have the same queues," Ivanov said. "Yum!Brands (YUM), owner of KFC brand, told us to put up a big sign where it's most visible saying that our chickens don't come from infected areas," he said.

 

However, the EU is more cautious. On Thursday, it extended its ban on live imports of chicken from Russia. The ban was imposed following the discovery of bird flu in Siberia in the summer, although no human cases have been registered.

 

The WHO says there is "minimal risk" from consuming infected eggs or meat, provided it is well cooked. Its advice is that people who inhale infected material or come into contact with droppings are more at risk.

 

The Russian Pharmaceutical Association said it has taken no steps in relation to the disease.

 

Some members of the Russian government, however, are more concerned.

 

"I do not agree with those who come out with appeasing phrases like these, and I quote: I will...eat it in your presence," Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday, referring to another statement by Onishchenko. "A very serious attitude should be taken on such issues," he added.

 

Customers at the country's largest pharmacy chain, OAO Apteka 36.6, seemed to agree with the minister. The company said Friday that all its outlets had sold out of Roche Holding SA's Tamiflu. The drug, which is available over the counter in Russia, costs from RUB1200 (US$42) to RUB1800, putting it out of the reach of many Russians.

 

However, Moscow's expatriate population may be contributing to Tamiflu purchases. The modern European Medical Center, which is frequented mainly by Westerners, Friday noted a sharp upturn in requests for bird flu drugs. The American Medical Center said almost all inquiries with regard to the disease had been from foreigners working in Moscow.