A mutant strain of avian flu that has emerged in Russia has “a very high degree of likelihood” of transmission from person to person, warned the country’s head of health surveillance in a report.
Anna Popova, who runs Rospotrebnadzor, made the worrying prediction almost a month after scientists detected the first case of H5N8 transmission to humans on a farm in southern Russia, the Moscow Times reported.
Humans can be infected with other subtypes of avian and swine flu, but the H5N8 strain – which is lethal to birds – has never been reported to have spread among people.
“This is likely to happen. Colleagues say the mutation continues very actively, ”said Popova, adding that Rospotrebnadzor and the Siberian-based state research laboratory Vektor have time to develop a test kit and vaccine, and then“ monitor the situation ”.
“If we don’t need it, it will be a stroke of luck. But, if necessary, we will be ready, ”the chief medical officer of Russia told the Russian news agency TASS.
“In other words, we will be able to alert the entire world community to the threat.”
Last month, Popova reported to the World Health Organization the first case of the H5N8 strain passing to bird humans, according to Reuters.
In addition to Russia and Europe, outbreaks of H5N8 have been reported in recent months in China, the Middle East and North Africa – but so far only in birds.
Other strains of bird flu, such as H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2, are known to spread to humans.
Seven Russian poultry workers were infected with the H5N8 mutation in an outbreak at the plant in December, Popova said, adding that they all recovered quickly.
“This situation has not developed further,” she said at the end of February.