Russia reports world's first case of human infection with H5N8 bird flu

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has registered the first case of a strain of bird flu virus named A(H5N8) being passed to humans from birds and has reported the matter to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Saturday.

Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months but only in poultry. Other strains - H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2 - have been known here(avian-and-other-zoonotic) to spread to humans.

Russia reported the case of human infection to the WHO "several days ago, just as we became absolutely certain of our results," Popova said on Rossiya 24 state TV. There was no sign of transmission between humans so far, she added.

The majority of human bird flu infections have been associated with direct contact with infected live or dead poultry, though properly cooked food is considered to be safe.

Bird flu outbreaks often prompt poultry plants to kill their birds to prevent the virus from spreading, and avoid importing countries having to impose trade restrictions.

The vast majority of cases are spread by migrating wild birds, so producing countries tend to keep their poultry indoors or protected from contact with wildlife.

Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia's south had been infected with the H5N8 strain when there was an outbreak at the plant in December, Popova said, adding that the individuals involved felt fine now.

"This situation did not develop further," she added.

Siberia's Vector Institute said on Saturday it would start developing human tests and a vaccine against H5N8, RIA news agency reported.

The WHO did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

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Norway Objects to the EU’s Granting Cod Quotas in the Svalbard Zone

The fisheries protection zone around Svalbard was created in 1977 and draws out 200 nautical miles from the Svalbard base line. Norway establishes fisheries regulations for this area and the purpose of creating the zone was primarily to control fishing in the area and prevent overfishing, according to the Norwegian Fisheries Ministry.

“Norway holds the exclusive right to regulate fisheries in the fisheries protection zone”, says Norwegian Fisheries Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen. The EU has granted itself a quota of 28,431 tons of cod in the fish protection zone around Svalbard. That is some 10,000 tons more than what Norway has granted the EU.

In a press statement last Friday, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries writes that the EU’s granting of quotas in the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard violates Norway’s sovereign rights according to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea. “The EU has granted itself a quota of 28,341 tons of cod for 2021 in the fisheries protection zone. This violates Norway’s sovereign rights according to the UNCLOS and we look gravely upon the EU’s one-sided granting of quotas. I have therefore made it clear to the EU that any fisheries extending beyond the Norwegian-granted quotas will be considered illegal fisheries and asserted by the Coast Guard in the regular way”, says Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (Conservatives). On Thursday, Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen met with the EU’s Commissioner for the Environment, the Sea and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicus. “This is totally unacceptable behavior from the EU. Norway holds the sole right to regulate fisheries in the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard, and only Norway may grant the EU fish quotas in that area”, Ingebrigtsen says. New quota following Brexit Norway has allocated the EU a cod quota of 17,885 tons in the fisheries protection zone for 2021. Great Britain’s historic fisheries were deducted when the EU quota was calculated, the Ministry writes. As a consequence of Brexit, Great Britain’s historic fisheries may no longer constitute a foundation for EU’s quotas.

Norway holds the sole right to regulate fisheries in the area Norwegian Fisheries Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (Conservatives)

Not necessarily coordinated policies Senior Researcher Andreas Østhagen at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute says to High North News that this is another example of fisheries and fish quotas being a bone of contention between Norway and the EU. “Norway and the EU are unable to fully agree on fisheries and fish quotas. We have seen that amongst others in the snow crab conflict between Norway and the EU.

More than 11,000 Ebola vaccines expected in Guinea this weekend

DAKAR (Reuters) - Guinea expects to receive more than 11,000 Ebola vaccines this weekend, with more to follow, and inoculations could start as soon as Monday, a health ministry official and the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

The 11,000 doses are being prepared in Geneva and over 8,600 more doses will be shipped from the United States to battle the outbreak, which Guinea declared over the weekend, WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti told a news conference.

Guinea has recorded three confirmed and four probable cases of Ebola, including five deaths. Six of the cases were in the southeast, while one is being treated in the capital Conakry, which he travelled more than 900 km (559 miles) to from the southeast.

“Once the vaccines are here in Guinea on Sunday, the vaccination campaign can start from Monday,” said Mohamed Lamine Yansane, a senior adviser to Guinea’s health minister.

Health authorities hope to halt resurgences of the disease this month in Guinea and in Democratic Republic of Congo. The two outbreaks are unrelated.

They are aiming to prevent a repeat of the 2013-16 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, making it the deadliest on record.

Since then, vaccines and new treatments have greatly strengthened officials’ ability to respond to the virus, which can cause severe bleeding and organ failure and is spread through contact with body fluids.

“We think it’s not likely at all that we will have a similar situation in Guinea and the neighbouring West African countries as happened in the past because capacities have been built up,” Moeti said.

Guinea is also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic but has been spared a steep second wave like other West African countries and has ample capacity to vaccinate against both diseases, Lansane said.

The WHO has already asked six West African countries to be alert for possible Ebola infections after Guinea reported new cases.

Congo said new infections there were a resurgence of a previous outbreak that ended last year. It began vaccinations earlier this week.