Bird Flu - Avian Influenza - news - information

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Avian influenza in nigeria

On Wednesday February 8, 2006, The World Health Organization confirmed multiple cases of avian influenza in birds on a commercial farm in northern Nigeria.

This is Africa’s first confirmed case of avian influenza, and also widens the global area affected by the virus. So far the virus has been confirmed in 14 nations and prompted serious concern about the possibility of a global avian influenza pandemic among people.

“Although all evidence to date indicates that the virus does not spread easily from birds to humans,� a WHO report said, “careful monitoring of the situation is warranted.�

Monday, February 06, 2006

confirmed case of avian influenza in bulgaria

Bulgarian authorities closed off wetlands areas Monday after recieving confirmation of the H5 strain of avian influenza they found in a dead swan from the same area last week.

Veterinarians also prepared to send samples from the infected swan, found partially paralysed in the Danube river, to Britain to test whether it had the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus.

Margarita Kozhuharova, a spokeswoman for the argriculture ministry stated, “The samples from the swan will be sent to the United Kingdom on Monday. We expect the results in a week’s time.”

Since the first H5 case was announced on Friday, vets have tested dozens of waterfowl found dead in wetland areas, including 30 ducks which died at a farm on Sunday.

The state veterinary office authorized police to begin guarding the lakes of Shabla and Durankulak near the northeast border with Romania to prevent people from coming into contact with more than 100,000 wild birds that spend the winter there.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Avian influenza outbreak in iraq (162 suspected cases)

The Kurdish region in Northern Iraq is reporting 162 suspected cases of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, almost two weeks after a 15-year-old girl died in the same area died of the disease.

Local papers are reporting that the head of the pre-emption committee in the Kurdistan Province Najm Eddin Mohammed announced that 162 people have been admitted to the diagnosis center on suspicion of contracting avian influenza.

Officals are also saying that the avian influenza virus has proliferated throughout Rania, a region southwest of al-Sulaymania on the border with Turkey, and described the influx as a “crisis.”

“The threat (of bird flu) has been confirmed after the virus has been able to cross the province’s borders,” Najm Eddin Mohammed said. Najm Eddin Mohammed also added “Two other citizens have died of the infectious virus while two other cases are in intensive care, in addition to four other cases.”

The virus is believed to have spread from neighboring Turkey, which has seen four deaths and a number of suspected cases so far. On January 17, a 15-year-old villager in Rania died of the avian influenza virus.

The World Health Organization has announced that two suspected cases of avian influenza are currently being investigated in its London laboratory.

The testing of the samples of the young girl’s 33-year-old uncle, who died on January 27 and another 54-year-old woman, who has been admitted to the hospital in northern Iraq after showing flu-like symptoms, is underway.

The health minister in al-Sulaymania, Mohammed Khoshnaw, had earlier confirmed that there are no avian influenza cases in the area, stating that the preemptive measures implemented by the authorities in the city “are capable of preventing the influx or spread of the disease in the province.”

But authorities later retracted their statement, admitting that avian influenza had spread to northern Iraq.

Avian influenza probable cause of Indonesian boy’s death

Health authorities in Indonesia report that a 15-year old boy who died in the Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung, was infected with the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

The disease has killed at least 85 people mostly in Asia and authorities are concerned it may be spreading in Indonesia, where about 30 million village households have 200 million chickens in their backyards, increasing the risk the avian influenza virus will mutate into a form easily transmitted among humans.

The World Health Organization has confirmed 14 Indonesian fatalities from the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus, and is testing samples from a 22-year-old man who died on Jan. 26, Sari Setiogi, WHO’s spokeswoman said today.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

iraq on avian influenza alert

Health authorities in Iraq went on an avian influenza alert after the first reported case of the deadly avian influenza virus in that country. Farmers across the country have been warned to inspect their domestic as well as commercial birds.

Health Minister Abdel Mutalib Mohammed stated that five mobile hospitals with special equipment are due to arrive in northern Iraq sometime today. Officials in Iraq stated that a 20 mile security cordon will be placed around the village where the disease first appeared.

The infection of a 15 year old girl with avian influenza, in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region yesterday was the first reported case of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in the middle east. It also prompted the slaughter of an estimated 500,000 birds in an effort to stop the disease from spreading any further.

The US has offered assistance to Iraqi authorities, while a team from The World Health Organisation was expected to arrive later in the week to conduct tests. Health authorities are also investigating two more possible avian influenza cases.

Monday, January 30, 2006

avian influenza synopsis as of January 30 2006

• Officials in northeastern Bulgaria discovered more than 100 dead birds(frozen) near the Durankulak and Shabla lakes Saturday. Officials have taken samples from the birds and are currently testing for signs of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

  It is assumed that the birds died as a result of the extreme low temperatures in eastern and central Europe last week. Until the test results are returned, authorities have cordoned off the area around the lakes and have restricted all access to the area.

• Saudi Arabian authorities have tested a number of falcons and found evidence of infection of an H5 strain of avian influenza.

  Over the weekend the Saudi Press Agency reported that 5 falcons have been tested for avian influenza and that 37 falcons, including the 5 tested, have been culled(slaughtered and disposed of) as a preventive measure.

  Even though the presence of an H5 strain of the avian influenza virus has been detected, authorities are still waiting for confirmation of the “N” subtype. This is the first time an H5 strain of avian influenza has been detected in Saudi Arabia.

• Chinese authorities have confirmed that a Magpie Robin that died earlier this month, See original story posted here, was infected with the avian influenza virus.

Iraqi girl dies from avian influenza

An Iraqi girl who died earlier this month in Kurdistan was a victim of the deadly H5N1, an Iraqi health minister said today. Reporters were told that Shanjin Abdel Qader, aged 14, had contracted H5N1, despite initial reports from a World Health Organization laboratory in Amman saying test results were negative.

“We are calling on Iraqis not to panic or listen to rumors, but at the same time to inform us if they suspect anything,” the health minister said. “Since the first cases were reported in Turkey we have been taking all necessary measures to deal with any possible influenza.” he said.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

avian influenza found in cyprus

The European Commission has confirmed that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been detected in birds in northern Cyprus. This would make the first case of this type found on the island.

An immediate freeze on the transfer of live animals or animal products across the island’s Green Line border or to the EU, has been ordered by the commission. 

A mass cull (slaughter and disposal), of poultry has taken place near Famagusta, eastern Cyprus, where the infected birds are believed to have originated. So far authorities have slaughtered about 1,500 birds in the area.

The World Health Organization has not confirmed the positive test results, which were carried out at a laboratory in Weybridge, UK.
There have been no human cases of avian influenza reported in the outbreak.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Iraqi man dies with avian influenza symptons

The uncle of a 14 year old Iraqi girl who who died of bird flu like symptoms, died on Friday, January 27, 2005 of avian influenza like symptoms. Samples have been flown to Jordan for further testing.

The man’s niece was also tested for the H5N1 virus but tests were said to be negative by The World Health Organization.

Imad Ahmad, a senior official with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, stated that the man died after suffering for a few days from a pulmonary infection. Health officials in Iraq’s three Kurdish provinces, which border Turkey, say a number of measures are being taken to stop the spread of the virus.

Including but not limited to, decontaminating trucks crossing the border, banning the import of Turkish poultry and prohibiting the sale of live chickens inside Kurdistan.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Researchers develop avian influenza vaccine

Reasearchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a vaccine for the avian flu that provides 100 percent protection against the virus in mice and and chickens. Animals that were injected with the vaccine all survived lethal doses of the Vietnam strain of avian influenza, (strain isolated during the lethal human outbreak in Vietnam from 2003 to 2005), according to a study released today by the journal of virology.

This breakthrough is very important because it means that vaccines could be made much faster then previously thought. However, it has yet to be tested on humans. Federal funding is now being sought by the researchers, for extensive testing of the vaccine.