KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 20
The Russian scientists on Saturday have confirmed the first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of the avian flu virus to humans.
Russian authorities stated that the World Health Organization has been alerted on the same.
According to Anna Popova, head of federal service, Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation, scientists had isolated the strain's genetic material from seven workers at a poultry farm in southern Russia, where an outbreak among birds had previously been witnessed in December.
It has been learnt that the infected workers have not had any serious health complications.
The highly contagious strain H5N8 can prove to be fatal for birds, which had never before been reported to have transmitted to humans.
