so it begins...Russia bird flu could spread to EU - vet official
By Aleksandras Budrys
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A strain of bird flu dangerous to humans could spread to parts of the European Union from Siberia, a senior Russian veterinary official warned on Monday.
Chances were "very high" the strain found in the Novosibirsk region could spread to other parts of Siberia, the official from the Russian Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service told Reuters.
"There is also a possibility that bird flu could spread to the European Union as (infected) wild birds from China may have been in contact in Russia with birds that will fly on to the Netherlands, France and elsewhere," the official said.
"North America is not safe either, as some birds from Russia fly there, too," said the official who did not wish to be named.
The official said it had been confirmed on Friday that birds in the Novosibirsk region were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which is dangerous to humans, and not with H5N2, as had previously been believed.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050801/hl_nm/russia_birdflu_dc