Bird Flu - Avian Influenza - news - information

Monday, May 05, 2008

North Korea inoculates poultry against bird flu following outbreak in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea said Monday it has inoculated poultry against bird flu to prevent the spread of the virus from neighboring South Korea.

The North’s Korean Central News Agency quoted quarantine official Ri Kyong Gun as saying all poultry in provinces near the border with the South have received emergency vaccinations, citing a bird flu outbreak in southern South Korea.

South Korea has slaughtered about 6.5 million chickens, ducks and other poultry since early last month when bird flu broke out there for the first time in more than a year.

Ri was quoted as saying the North has also set up 1,600 observation posts along the east and west coasts to monitor the movement of migratory birds — which he said are a key way the virus spreads.

The North has intensified its quarantine efforts on poultry farms and ordered farmers to keep their poultry in pens to stop them from coming into contact with migratory birds, it said.

Bird flu article source: IHT

Japan confirms another bird flu case in swan

TOKYO (AFP) — A dead swan tested positive for bird flu in northern Japan on Monday, the environment ministry said, less than a week after officials announced the first detection of the deadly virus in 13 months.

“The virulent H5N1 type of avian influenza was detected” in the swan found dead on April 24 in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, an official said.

Ministry officials and the Hokkaido government were inspecting chicken farms within a 30-kilometre (19-mile) radius of where the bird was found.

The virus was also found in three swans in northern Akita prefecture in late April, the first detection of H5N1 in Japan in 13 months.

Bird flu story source: AFP

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Bird flu spreading in SKorea, officials say

SEOUL (AFP) — Bird flu outbreaks have spread to six of South Korea’s nine provinces despite a massive cull which saw the slaughter of more than five million chickens and ducks last month, officials said Saturday.

An outbreak reported Wednesday at a farm around 300 kilometers (187 miles) southeast of Seoul was confirmed after blood tests as the virulent H5N1 strain of the disease, the agriculture ministry said.

It raised to 23 the total number of outbreaks reported across six provinces of South Korea.

Only the northeastern province of Gangweon, North Chungcheong in the center and the southern island of Jeju have been unaffected so far, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile quarantine authorities denied allegations they had covered up an outbreak of avian influenza in the province of North Gyeongsang last month.

Responding to a television report, they said they had been cautious of the results of preliminary tests on poultry at Yeongcheon City, but final results confirmed the outbreak.

South Korea reported seven cases of H5N1 infection cases between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.

Bird flu story source: AFP

Friday, May 02, 2008

Thailand free of bird flu: ministry

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand on Friday declared itself free of bird flu after no outbreaks of the deadly virus were reported over the past 90 days.

The agriculture ministry’s Livestock Development Department, which made the announcement, has also launched a two-month nationwide campaign to eradicate the disease.

“As of now Thailand has not reported any new case of bird flu virus for 90 days, therefore it’s considered Thailand is free from bird flu under the OIE,” the department said, referring to standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Thailand’s last outbreak of avian influenza was on January 25 among chickens on a farm in the northern province of Phichit.

Since its first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in January 2004, Thailand has confirmed 25 human cases, 17 of which were fatal. The last human fatality was in August 2006.

Thai authorities have slaughtered millions of birds to halt the spread of the virus and importing countries have stopped buying fresh chicken products from Thailand.

Bird flu story source: AFP