China is groping for new bird flu treatment

February 20, 2009

14% of bird flu in poultry immune system failure, China began to reserve the human anti-serum

【 "Financial network" Comprehensive coverage】 "culled" and "immunization" a combination of China's bird flu prevention and control are the basic strategy. However, in January this year, seen on many of the people infected with highly pathogenic bird flu, so a lot of people questioned for poultry vaccination practical results.
February 20, the Ministry of Agriculture Chief Veterinary Officer in the country Kangzhen, director of the Center for National Influenza舒跃龙such as communicate with friends when the relevance of the avian flu situation in the introduction. Yu Kangzhen express, whether it is the Netherlands, the United States research, or Italy, Mexico practice, have proved immune control measures significant efficacy.

For China, the national poultry more than 15 billion, it is difficult to have to do 100% of immunization, especially in the incidence of non-infected birds. Moreover, Yu Kangzhen said monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2008, China's poultry after vaccination, 86% of poultry can have a qualified immunity, the remaining 14% of the poultry immune system failure.

China has reported 38 cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza cases, but only four cases accompanied by the emergence of poultry outbreaks. For this "strange phenomenon", in Kangzhen said studies are underway. He said that so far, 15 countries all over the world have 408 cases of human infection with avian influenza, including infection person-one correspondence with the poultry outbreaks have occurred is not many. "This is the reason which, from the science have not been basically solved."

Yu Kangzhen think, of human infection with avian influenza have relations with their genetic background. A situation is that the virus needs to be infected person has a corresponding receptor, which receptor the existence of quantity and distribution site, has great difference between people. If an individual distribution of the next respiratory receptor, it is difficult to come into contact with virus, the lower the risk of infection. Another situation is that there are unknown genetic factors can affect the decision or the avian flu virus susceptibility extent. Yu Kangzhen think, because of all these factors, as well as the lack of evidence of spread from person to person, and ultimately only a very small number of people will be infected with avian flu.

Ministry of Health emergency Yang Dong-ming, deputy director of the Office of introduction, in addition to the traditional treatment of avian flu, China is gradually exploring new bird flu treatment. For example, in 2009 the successful treatment of three cases, are used in human avian influenza virus antiserum.
Yu Kangzhen said bird flu prevention and control from the point of view, China has two weak links - water birds and live poultry market. Live poultry markets, especially the free-market style of live poultry markets, regulation very difficult. "So we have to strictly monitoring of live poultry market, while restrictions on live poultry market, the best in some places be able to shut down live poultry markets." ■

( "Financial" Journalist Liu Jing Jing)