"Taking into account the fact of the spread of the Flu A (H5N1) virus which is being carried into Russia and is forming an epidemic zone in Siberia, there is a growing danger of the virus spreading to the European part of Russia when birds migrating at the beginning of autumn will be flying from the Siberian north to the Caspian and Black Sea areas," an Emergencies Ministry press statement said Wednesday.
"In view of the marked increase in the pathogenicity of group H5N1 viruses for domestic birds recently, there is an increased risk of epidemic outbreaks in industrial poultry farming resulting in losses of 75-100% within these zones," the ministry said.
The Emergencies Ministry does not rule out the possibility of humans becoming infected, especially workers in poultry farms.
Ministry specialists also warn of the danger of foot-and-mouth disease spreading to Russia from neighboring China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, carried by migrating cattle.
According to Emergencies Ministry data, there is still a danger in substantial portions of Russia of an outbreak of isolated and widespread incidents of swine fever, anthrax, leptospirosis, and Newcastle disease.
