By the example of Rospotrebnadzor Rostourism decided to remind the tour operators and travel agents of “the incidence rate caused by influenza A (H5N1)” - the so-called bird flu. Besides, the majority of the popular winter destinations - Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and China – were named among the countries with incidence rate.

      “Rostourism asks tour operators and travel agents to inform tourists intending to visit the listed countries about the necessary precautions and personal hygiene. It is advised to avoid contact with poultry in households, markets and rookeries of the birds on the open water. It is not recommended to buy poultry and eggs for food in the places of unauthorized trading” - the report of Rostourism explains.

      Moreover, the report once again stresses the importance of use of bottled or boiled water only, observation of personal hygiene measures, as well as eating poultry products only after proper cooking.

      Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as A(H5N1) or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species. A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1, is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as avian influenza ("bird flu"). It is enzootic in many bird populations, especially in Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) isspreading globally after first appearing in Asia. It is epizootic (an epidemic in nonhumans) and panzootic (affecting animals of many species, especially over a wide area), killing tens of millions of birds and spurring the culling of hundreds of millions of others to stem its spread. Many references to "bird flu" and H5N1 in the popular media refer to this strain. According to the World Health Organization and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, H5N1 pathogenicity is gradually continuing to rise in endemic areas, but the avian influenza disease situation in farmed birds is being held in check by vaccination, and so far there is "no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission" of the virus.