Health officials in western Siberia are to begin in slaughter of thousands of birds today after identifying Russia's first outbreak of a bird flu strain that can be fatal in humans. Doctors in neighboring Kazakhstan have also{{U}} (1) {{/U}}that a 19-year-old poultry worker{{U}} (2) {{/U}}admitted to hospital with{{U}} (3) {{/U}}of bird flu, only to be diagnosed{{U}} (4) {{/U}}double pneumonia.
The H5N1 strain of avian{{U}} (5) {{/U}}has killed 60 people{{U}} (6) {{/U}}2fib in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, but has rarely been found in birds or humans{{U}} (7) {{/U}}Asia.
Health officials{{U}} (8) {{/U}}that HSN1 is infecting migrating birds, which could spread the{{U}} (9) {{/U}}into Europe. Earlier this year China registered the first outbreak of H5N1{{U}} (10) {{/U}}wild birds, some of which{{U}} (11) {{/U}}to breeding grounds in Siberia. These birds could come{{U}} (12) {{/U}}contact with others flying to Europe and North America.
Russia's{{U}} (13) {{/U}}began in the Novosibirsk{{U}} (14) {{/U}}, about 1,750 miles{{U}} (15) {{/U}}of Moscow in the Asian part of Russia, early last month, but the veterinary service{{U}} (16) {{/U}}the virus only last week. Valery Mikheyev, the chief sanitary doctor of Novosibirsk, said that teams had been{{U}} (17) {{/U}}the{{U}} (18) {{/U}}birds and supervising the slaughter in13 {{U}}(19) {{/U}}villages. He said, "The state of{{U}} (20) {{/U}}of the inhabitants of these areas gives{{U}} (21) {{/U}}cause for alarm. Up to 6,000 people are being{{U}} (22) {{/U}}per day.
The virus seems to have{{U}} (23) {{/U}}only private farms that let{{U}} (24) {{/U}}mix with wild birds. Further outbreaks were registered in the Omsk and Altai regions, but the strain had{{U}} (25) {{/U}}to be determined, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said.