First cases of bird flu in humans reported - details inside The affected workers at the poultry farm, where an outbreak among birds was reported in December, had mild cases and have recovered. File photo Updated: Feb 20, 2021, 11:28 PM IST The world’s first cases of H5N8 avian influenza in humans have been reported in Russia. The virus, however, isn’t yet spreading among people. The cases were detected in workers at a poultry farm in southern Russia, and were immediately reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). "Information about the world's first case of transmission of the avian flu (H5N8) to humans has already been sent to the WHO," the head of Russia's health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said as per media reports.