Avian influenza H5N8 can be transmitted from birds to humans, it has overcome the interspecies barrier, but this variant of the virus is not transmitted from person to person today, said the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova on the air of Russia 24. This was reported by Izvestia.
The department noted that one should not also be afraid of infection through food, in particular chicken: all infected birds are destroyed, and their meat will not get on the shelves. In this case, precautions should be taken. So, do not allow raw meat to come into contact with ready-to-eat food. It is also necessary to use a separate cutting board and knife for raw meat, disinfect work surfaces with soap and wash hands after cutting the chicken.
Rospotrebnadzor added that in 2021 there is a frequent occurrence of outbreaks of influenza among wild and domestic birds. Cases of infection of birds with the influenza A (H5N8) virus have been recorded in most European countries, including Russia. “Taking into account the current dynamics of the spread of the virus, it is impossible to exclude the emergence of new foci on the territory of our country,” the ministry said.
On February 20, Anna Popova reported that seven employees of a Russian poultry farm located in the southern region of the country were infected for the first time in the world with a new strain, H5N8. An outbreak of influenza among the poultry was registered at the enterprise in December 2020. According to Popova, people are now doing well, and their illness was very easy.
