Taiwan-No anomalies among poultry workers in wake of avian flu outbreak #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

2012/03/13 20:18:12

Taipei, March 13 (CNA) No anomalies have been detected in the health of 142 poultry workers and inspection and quarantine personnel since an outbreak of avian influenza in central Taiwan, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. The DOH noted that since an egg farm in Fanyuan, Changhua County reported outbreaks of the low pathogenic and high pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza and H6N1 virus late last year, it has been monitoring 64 poultry workers and 78 animal health inspection and quarantine personnel. Of the 142 people under surveillance, nine have finished the testing process, while the others still have to undergo further blood tests in early April. The Bureau of Animal Health Inspection and Quarantine said H6N1 has long been prevalent in domestic chickens and that it is more concerned about the appearance of poultry-to-human H5N1 transmission through frame-shift mutation. Chou Jih-haw, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control under the DOH, said that when the concentration of avian flu antibody level is four times that of a first test, it is an indication of avian flu infection. But he said there have been no cases of people being infected with the H5N2 virus, or of people being infected with H5N1 virus in Taiwan so far this year.  http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201203130041