MOSCOW/NOVOSIBIRSK, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - Chief State Medical Officer Gennady Onishchenko says specialists must find an explanation for how the "bird flu" virus managed to enter Russia.
He confirmed that the virus had been discovered among birds in Suzdalka in the Novosibirsk Region of Siberia.
"We have been carrying out laboratory research and looking for infection among humans." He confirmed that no human cases have been found, "although not much time has passed since the virus appeared.
"We now have to ascertain how the virus entered our territory."
However, as Novosibirsk Medical Officer Boris Yagudin has said, it is still early to be talking of an outbreak of bird flu in the region since it is not yet clear what domestic birds are dying of, he said.
"Domesticated birds die [because] of many factors. This could have occurred because they were fed inappropriate food."
According to the Dovolensky District Administration in the region, the domestic birds were owned by the local population, and not bird farms, as was previously announced. The administration says that there are no bird farms in the district.
