Bird Flu - Avian Influenza - news - information

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Vietnam issues warning over bird flu spread

Vietnam is on the brink of another bird flu epidemic in poultry, the agriculture minister told provincial authorities Wednesday after the H5N1 virus has spread rapidly over the past month.

The virus has infected ducks and chickens in 11 provinces and Can Tho city in May at the beginning of summer. The development is unusual because experts say the virus normally appears to thrive best in cool temperatures and weakens in warmer weather.

Last week, the Southeast Asian country reported its first human case of H5N1 bird flu virus infection in a year and a half, a 30-year-old man in a province neighbouring Hanoi.

“The recent outbreaks were found mainly in waterflowl flocks that have not been vaccinated,” Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat said in what was described as an urgent telegraph to People’s Committees in all 64 provinces and cities.

“Now the development of the epidemic is very complicated. The risk of the epidemic’s further development and spreading on a large scale is very high,” Phat’s message said.

It called for the vaccination of “100 percent of ducks”.

Tests confirmed the H5 component of the virus in 14-day-old ducklings on a farm outside Hai Phong city last week, the second outbreak in the area, the ministry’s Animal Health Department said in a report seen on Wednesday.

It killed 2,120 fowl and animal health workers slaughtered the remaining 1,200 ducklings.

Other outbreaks were reported on Wednesday in the northern provinces of Ha Nam and Vinh Phuc, home area of the hospitalized man, who was apparently infected while slaughtering chickens.

The number of birds killed by the virus and slaughtered this month is more than 50,000 nationwide.

The full economic impact might not be known for some months until the government compensates farmers for slaughtering their poultry, a World Bank economist said.

“The consequences will be much stronger in the winter,” said Martin Rama, acting director of the World Bank in Vietnam.

Bird flu story source: Thanhnien news

Indonesian man dies of bird flu - health ministry

JAKARTA, May 30 (Reuters) - A 45-year-old Indonesian man from central Java has died of bird flu, a health ministry official said on Wednesday.

The man from Grobogan died on Monday after being hospitalised on May 17, Joko Suyono of the ministry’s bird flu centre said by telephone.

Authorities were still investigating, but the man was believed to have slaughtered and eaten a sick chicken, while dead fowl were found near his home, the official said.

Bird flu story source: Reuters

Monday, May 28, 2007

Bird Flu Spreads to 10th Province in Vietnam

Vietnamese agriculture authorities say the current outbreak of bird flu has spread to two more provinces, bringing the number of cities and provinces affected by the disease to 10.

The national animal health department says about 2,000 birds were killed at a farm in Hoa Lu district in Ninh Binh province after 250 poultry died of the H5N1 bird flu virus there.

The department also says about 950 poultry have been killed at a farm in the northern province of Bac Ninh after bird flu was discovered there.

Vietnam had been praised by international public health authorities for its success in controlling the disease.

Last week, however, Vietnamese authorities said a farmer in Vinh Phuc province had tested positive for bird flu. He is Vietnam’s first human case of the virus since late 2005.

Bird flu story source: VOA

Pupils offered bird flu treatment ( UK )

Children at a primary school are being offered anti-bird flu treatment as a pupil is thought to have the virus.

The year five pupil at Ysgol Henllan, Denbighshire, is linked to a smallholding near Corwen, Conwy, where a mild form of the virus was found.

A dozen children aged nine and 10 and two teachers are being given tamiflu treatments as a precaution.

Four people have tested positive for bird flu and 12 have flu-like symptoms, but no-one is seriously ill.

The number of people who may have had contact with the disease has risen to 142.

Of the 142, 47 came into contact “in the household setting,” 14 in the school and 81 in “the workplace setting”.

The child who is believed to have the virus is said to be responding to treatment at home.

This is an unusual step for us to take because the risk of the infection being passed from the child to other pupils is so small
Dr Brendan Mason, NPHS

The 12 children and two teachers have been identified as having been in prolonged close contact with the pupil, on days when there was a “small risk” of the child being infectious.

There are 58 children at the school but only those 12 who have been in close contact with the infected child, will receive tamiflu - an antiviral medication which reduces the severity of any impact of the infection.

The parents of each child are being contacted by staff at the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS).

Dr Brendan Mason from the NPHS, said: “This is an unusual step for us to take because the risk of the infection being passed from the child to other pupils is so small.

‘Very rare’

“However, this particular virus usually only affects birds and is relatively unknown in humans. Its clinical characteristics have not been fully defined.

“It is very rare to see this particular flu virus so we are taking every reasonable precaution to eliminate it from the community.”

The NPHS wrote to all parents to invite them to meet officials at 1700 BST on Monday and Tuesday.

“From a public health perspective, the school will be safe to reopen as normal after the half term break. The risk of avian flu to the public is low.”

The confirmed case involved a smallholding at Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Conwy.

Conwy smallholding where bird flu has been confirmed
An outbreak was confirmed at the Conwy smallholding on Thursday

Owners Tony Williams and Barbara Cowling, who have tested negative for the virus, called in a vet after their Rhode Island Red chickens began to die.

They bought the chickens at Chelford Market at Macclesfield, Cheshire, some 70 miles (112 km) away, on 7 May.

A total of 30 chickens from the smallholding have now been slaughtered after 15 birds died.

Officials have stressed that the disease found at the Conwy farm was the H7N2 strain of bird flu, not the more virulent H5N1.

The second possible case emerged on Saturday about 35 miles (56 km) away, at a farm on the outskirts of Efailnewydd, near Pwllheli. It has also been linked to the market.

Bird flu story source: BBC

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Tests at second UK farm for mild strain of bird flu

LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) - Vets investigating an outbreak of a strain of bird flu in Wales have ordered tests on birds at a second farm, officials said on Saturday.

Authorities confirmed an outbreak of bird flu on Thursday among chickens at a farm in Denbighshire, North Wales.

But it was the low pathogenic H7N2 strain of bird flu, not the H5N1 strain, which is potentially deadly to humans and has caused scares elsewhere in the past.

Officials say two people who visited the farm or had been in contact with the infected birds had tested positive for H7N2. They said it was very rare for humans to become infected with bird flu and the risk to the general public was low.

Christianne Glossop, Wales’s chief veterinarian, said on Saturday she had ordered samples to be taken from birds at a second farm, this time on the Llyn Peninsula in Wales.

She said she had ordered the tests because of a link between the farm and a market in Chelford, western England, where the chickens at the first farm had been bought.

“There is a police presence currently at the farm, to ensure no unnecessary access to the premises,” Glossop said in a statement.

“A decision on any further action required regarding birds on the farm will be taken on the basis of the test results.”

Britain has been on the watch for bird disease after Europe’s biggest turkey producer Bernard Matthews was forced to destroy 160,000 turkeys because of an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in England earlier this year.

The presence of an H7 virus in poultry is treated seriously by animal health officials because scientists believe that, when allowed to circulate in poultry populations, a low pathogenic virus can mutate into the highly pathogenic form.

Bird flu story source: Reuters Alertnet

Saturday, May 26, 2007

China confirms new human case of bird flu

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua)—China’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a new human case of bird flu, the ministry announced on its website Saturday.

A 19-year-old man surnamed Cheng, who is a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is now receiving treatment at an army hospital, the ministry said.

A spokesman of the ministry declined to say in which part of the country Cheng was stationed nor how he may have come in contact with the virus.

Cheng developed symptoms of fever, cough and pneumonia on May 9. He was sent to an army hospital on May 14 and has been hospitalized since then.

Tests by local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 18 show that he had been infected with bird flu virus strain H5N1. The result was confirmed by Chinese and PLA CDCs on Wednesday.

The website did not indicate the status of Cheng’s condition.

The ministry said leaders of the State Council and the Central Committee of PLA were “highly concerned” by the case.

They have ordered the army to cooperate with local health bureau to closely monitor those who have had close contact with the patient. So far, none of them have shown symptoms of the disease.

According to the website, China’s Health Ministry has conveyed the information to the World Health Organization, health agencies in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and some countries.

Bird flu story source: Xinhua (Chinese news service)

Four People Test Positive For Bird Flu

Nine people have developed bird flu-like symptoms after coming into contact with birds on a chicken farm in north Wales - although only four are said to have contracted the virus.

Health officials have stressed that the type of flu found is not the potentially deadly H5-N1 strain.

The outbreak was on a smallholding in Corwen where 15 chickens died. A further 30 birds were slaughtered.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) carried out tests on specimens from nine people associated with the incident - seven from Wales and two from north west England.

Of the four positive results, two were from Wales and two were from north west England.

The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) said virologists had advised that the five people who had not tested positive should also be considered to have had the H7 influenza virus.

It said 23 people have been identified who have been in contact with the chickens on the smallholding in the last seven days or with people who have been ill.

Dr Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, previously said it was not the most dangerous H5N1 strain but H7N2 low pathogenic avian influenza.

Dr Marion Lyons, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the NPHS for Wales, said: “The source of the outbreak of illness is clearly identified as the chickens on the smallholding.

“These have all been culled so the original source has been destroyed.

“Although the number of people involved is very small, we could be dealing with some spread of the H7 flu virus within the household setting. We are treating this possibility very seriously.”

Bird flu story source: SKY NEWS

Bird flu poultry bought at market UK

Officials trying to trace the source of an outbreak of mild bird flu say 15 chickens found to have the virus were bought at a Cheshire market.

A H7N2 strain was found in the Rhode Island Red birds at the farm near Cerrigydrudion, Conwy.

On Friday, health officials announced nine people had been tested for the virus, with four positive.

Wales’s chief vet said Chelford Market near Macclesfield - some 70 miles (112km) away - was one line of inquiry.

The owners of the smallholding at Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Tony Williams and Barbara Cowling, have tested negative for the virus.

The couple called in a vet after the chickens, which they bought at the market about two weeks ago, started to die.

Samples from the birds were sent for testing, and the virus was confirmed on Thursday.

Health officials have stressed that the disease found was the H7N2 strain of bird flu, not the more virulent H5N1.

Chief veterinary officer Christianne Glossop said: “An important part of disease control is finding the source of infection. It has to be a very thorough process with a number of lines of inquiry to follow.”

Vigilance

She said anyone who purchased from or supplied to the market on Monday, 7 May and had not already been contacted by animal health officials should contact their local office.

Similarly, any poultry keeper who visited the market on that day and whose birds have subsequently become ill should do so, Dr Glossop said.

“In the meantime, all bird keepers throughout Wales should continue their efforts to maintain high levels of biosecurity and maintain vigilance by continuing to monitor their birds for signs of disease,” she continued.

“If you are concerned about the health of your birds you should seek the advice of your veterinary surgeon, if you suspect that your birds have avian influenza you should report it to your local animal health office.”

Three of the nine people tested for the virus were taken to hospital, but have now been discharged.

Symptoms

Chief medical officer for Wales Tony Jewell said on Friday: “I would like to reassure the general public that the risk to their health from this outbreak is very low.

“This particular strain is not highly pathogenic and is normally only contracted following close contact with infected birds. In addition the symptoms are generally mild.”

Two of the four people who have tested positive were from Wales and the other two were from north-west England.

The five people who tested negative are being treated as having had the virus as a precaution.

Bird flu story source : BBC

Friday, May 25, 2007

Vietnam reports more bird flu in poultry

HANOI, May 25 (Reuters) - Bird flu has struck poultry in two more places in northern Vietnam, officials said on Friday, two days after reporting the first human case in a year and a half.

Tests on ducks and chickens at poultry farms in the port city of Haiphong and in Bac Giang province showed they were infected with the H5N1 virus, the Animal Health Department said.

The department also said there had been fresh outbreaks in the previously hit northern provinces of Quang Ninh and Nam Dinh, killing ducks and chickens that had not been vaccinated.

International public health authorities describe Vietnam’s mass poultry vaccination programme and other measures as a model for keeping the virus at bay for the past 18 months.

But on Wednesday it recorded the first human case since November 2005 when a man from Vinh Phuc province near the capital, Hanoi, was found to have contracted H5N1 after he helped slaughter chickens at a friend’s wedding.

The World Health Organisation said it was working with the government to investigate the case and the WHO needed to verify the virus sample. It said finding the suspected patient was not alarming if it was an isolated case.

The Animal Health Department said the Agriculture Ministry had ordered provincial animal health authorities to step up efforts to stamp out the disease including swift anti-bird flu vaccination for all poultry.

Apart from killing birds that have not been vaccinated, the spread of the virus in May at the beginning of summer is unusual because experts had previously said it thrived best in cool temperatures and weakened in warmer weather.

Bird flu story source : Reuters’ AlertNet

Pakistan confirms fifth H5N1 outbreak this week

ISLAMABAD, May 25 (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities have detected the H5N1 strain of bird flu at two more poultry farms on the outskirts of Islamabad, taking to five the number of outbreaks found this week, a government official said on Friday.

Several outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of bird flu have been found in poultry this year in Pakistan, where the deadly virus first appeared in early 2006. Pakistan has had no human cases.

“We have discovered two more cases in the same area where the virus was found in three poultry farms early this week,” said Food and Agriculture Ministry official Rafiq-ul-Hassan Usmani.

Samples were gathered on Wednesday after the death of more than 3,000 birds on the two farms in the Chak Shezad area. The samples tested positive for the H5N1 strain and authorities culled the remaining 4,000 chickens on Thursday.

Usmani said authorities had stepped up surveillance in the area, which is known as “poultry pocket” because of its more than 40 commercial chicken farms.

“My hunch is that birds on many of these farms are not getting the vaccination, and the free movement of workers and birds within the area is also causing the spread,” he said.

Health officials had been sent to examine farm workers, he said.

Poultry was culled on several small farms in early 2007 after detection of the virus and authorities briefly shut Islamabad Zoo in February after four peacocks and a goose died of H5N1.

Bird flu story source : Reuters