What is H5N8? First human cases of H5N8 virus reported in Russia

 Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia were reported to have been infected with the H5N8 strain after the flu outbreak in birds in December 2020.

Russia has reported the world's first case of bird flu virus strain -H5N8 -that has infected humans through birds. The bird flu strain has been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia were reported to have been infected with the H5N8 virus after the flu outbreak in birds in December 2020. All the seven infected have recovered now. 

Russia reported the case of human infection to the WHO few days ago after becoming absolutely certain of the results. 

What is H5N8 virus?

The H5N8 virus is a subtype of the influenza A virus that causes flu-like symptoms in wild birds and poultry. The virus is fatal for birds and poultry but poses a low risk to people. The flu strain was found in crows in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. 

Is H5N8 virus the same as H1N1 strain?

H5N8 virus is different from the more common influenza strain-H1N1, which has affected humans around the world on several occasions and caused major flu outbreaks such as the 1918 Spanish flu and 2009 Swine flu outbreak.

Why is this a cause of concern?

There have been several H5N8 outbreaks in the past but until recently, the virus was not known to affect humans.

How did the H5N8 virus get transmitted to humans in Russia?

As per preliminary information, all the seven reported cases were Russian poultry farm workers who were exposed to bird flocks. They were reportedly infected during an outbreak of the strain at the plant.

Is the H5N8 strain fatal for humans?

The H5N8 strain of avian influenza has not been found to be lethal for humans, as all the affected workers were asymptomatic. According to Dr. Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, the workers now feel well, and “the situation did not develop further.”

Can the H5N8 virus be transmitted from human-to-human?

All the affected workers in Russia were reported to be asymptomatic and there have been no reports of human-to-human transmission so far. 

Russia is currently trying to gather more information on the same and assess the public health impact of the event. 

Significance of the Discovery

According to Dr. Popova, the discovery of the strain “gives us all, the whole world, time to prepare for possible mutations and the possibility to react in a timely way and develop test systems and vaccines."

Where all has the H5N8 flu outbreak been reported? 

The H5N8 flu outbreak has been reported in poultry in Russia, China, Europe, Middle East, North Africa and also in India. 

Is there an H5N8 flu outbreak in India?

Recently, an H5N8 flu outbreak was reported in the Beed district of Maharashtra. There were also reports of an outbreak of the avian flu in poultry and migratory birds in several states across India in January 2021. There were, however, no reports of transmission to humans. 

According to experts, the outbreak was caused by the H5N8 virus, though there are other strains circulating globally. 

Background

One of the earliest known outbreaks of the H5N8 virus strain occurred in Ireland in 1983. About 8,000 turkeys, 28,020 chickens, and 270,000 ducks had to be culled to curb the spread of the infection. 

There have been other instances of H5N8 outbreaks as well including that of South Korea in 2014 and European countries like Austria, Hungary and Germany in 2016. The outbreaks have also been reported in India, Israel, Taiwan and Russia.