Russian authorities have detected the H5N1 bird flu strain among dead chickens in the Volgograd region for the second time in two weeks. A veterinary laboratory confirmed the virus in 25 hens that died on a Tuesday in the village of Kolobrodovo, in the Frolovo district. The village was placed under quarantine, and samples were forwarded to a laboratory in Vladimir for more detailed analysis.
H5N1 had already been identified among dead birds in the same region late the previous month. The latest cases follow a pattern of outbreaks across southern Russia and in neighboring countries, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Russia's chief veterinarian Sergei Dankvert had previously cautioned that bird flu represents an increasing danger to the country. The H5N1 strain is potentially fatal to humans in its most severe form, and scientists are concerned it could eventually mutate into a version capable of spreading between people. The World Health Organization reported 186 human infections at the time, with more than half proving fatal.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.