The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday warned the possible spread of bird flu in Russia and Kazakhstan to poultry in other countries cannot be ruled out.

The WHO recommended heightened surveillance for outbreaks in poultry and die-offs in migratory birds, and rapid introduction of containment measures.

Heightened vigilance for cases of respiratory disease in persons with a history of exposure to infected poultry is also recommended in countries with known poultry outbreaks, the agency said in a statement.

Both Russia and Kazakhstan reported outbreaks of bird flu in poultry in late July, and these are the first outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus recorded in the two countries.

The WHO said the outbreaks are attributed to contact between domestic birds and wild waterfowl via shared water sources.

The Geneva-based agency warned that the expanding geographical presence of the virus is of concern as it creates further opportunities for human exposure.

Source: Xinhua