Bird flu: Russia takes precautionary measures

Beijing, April 15: As bird flu is spreading fast in China,

is taking precautionary measures to control the spread.

"The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not yet given recommendations for quarantine, and we are not introducing prohibitive measures now, but simply paying increased attention [to the issue]," Russia's chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko.

"But if the process spreads, we will enhance the appropriate measures in this situation."

China has reported 11 new cases of H7N9 avian flu. The current number of reported cases stands at 60. 13 deaths have been reported to the disease in the last one month.

"We still cannot understand the mechanism of the disease as there is practically no contact with poultry in big cities," the Russian official said.

"H7N9 has always been transmitted to humans through birds, and we need to study the [problem] seriously."

OneIndia News (With inputs from IANS)