Russia loses half of farm poultry because of bird flu

14.04.2006, 20.07

TAMBOV, April 14 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia has lost nearly half of farm poultry because of bird flu, Chief Public Health Official and head of the Federal Consumer Rights and Human Well Being Service Gennady Onishchenko said at a Friday meeting of the Central Federal District Council.

“Bird flu has affected nine constituents of the Russian Federation,” Onishchenko said. “Wild birds will fly to Siberia in late April, and a pan-epidemic may spread onto the Urals. The bird flu forecast for the Central Federal District is favorable.”

“We do not expect the infection [in the Central Federation Region} that does not have much places for nesting,” Onishchenko said. “Yet the spring hunting season has been banned, and specialists would try to prevent the nesting.”

Some 150 million doses of bird flu vaccine for the inoculation of domestic birds are being bought from Vladimir and Stavropol factories. The majority of poultry farms of the Central Federal District are not ready for keeping their birds indoors. “This unpreparedness may fully deprive Russia of poultry farms,” Onishchenko said.