Rospotrebnadzor will conduct preclinical trials of the avian influenza vaccine. The head of the department, Anna Popova, said in an interview with TASS that six prototypes of vaccines are currently being prepared for testing in Russia. They are intended for a scenario of the possible transmission of the virus to humans. There are no plans for industrial production yet, since the avian influenza virus transmission via interspecific contacts has not happened yet. However, according to Popova, the increase in the number of cases of infection with the disease in the world confirms the relevance of such developments.
“With the numbers of the reported cases [of avian influenza], which are undoubtedly increasing, we are sure that there are risks, so we are working on vaccines. There are currently six vaccine prototypes on different platforms, and now we are preparing for preclinical trials. It won’t be very complicated and difficult to make, because we are using a proven mechanism,” Popova said.
The main focus is on creating a vaccine against the H5NX gene variant to cover possible mutations of neuraminidase, an enzyme that promotes the spread of the virus.
Popova also said that Rospotrebnadzor specialists have developed a new test system to detect the avian influenza virus for all genotypes. Such tests, she said, are used to detect the virus in both animal and human materials. All trials conducted by Rospotrebnadzor in Russia are carried out with a single test system that eliminates errors, she assured.
“In order to detect [avian flu] as quickly as possible, we are working on the creation of tests. We had tests for H5N1 20 years ago, and we still use them, but as the situation is changing, our colleagues have edited the composition. <…> As soon as there is a publication that the virus has become contagious to humans or its pathogenic properties have changed, it is immediately added into a broader test that determines all the different genotypes,” explained the head of Rospotrebnadzor.
She added that the service cooperates with more than 30 countries, providing test systems, vaccines and other products for preventing infections to friendly states, including Guinea, Uganda, and Burundi.
At the beginning of 2025, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) announced the need to expand measures to prevent the spread of the avian influenza virus in order to avoid new cases of infection among humans. This statement was made after a man who had recently been diagnosed with avian flu died in the United States.
Avian influenza is an infectious disease caused by influenza A virus strains. The disease is widespread all over the world. It is usually carried by migrating wild birds, but it can affect flocks of domestic birds, as well as animals and humans.
