H5N1 On The Move

Russia, which is scrambling to contain a bird flu outbreak in Siberia, warned the world on Monday that migrating birds may export the deadly virus to Europe and the Middle East in coming months.

The outbreak, previously confined to five remote areas of Siberia, appeared to be moving westward on Monday after the virus hit a major industrial region — Chelyabinsk in the Ural mountains which sever Asia from Europe.

And officials said the virus, which can kill humans, was likely to spread further.

"Apart from Russia's south, migrating birds may spread the virus to nearby countries (Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine, Mediterranean countries) because bird migration routes from Siberia also go through those regions in autumn," said Russia's top state epidemiologist, Gennady Onishchenko.

[Source: Reuters via myway]