FAO skeptical of H5N1 attack on crows #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

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UN experts sceptical of H5N1 attack on crows - 2-day workshop on influenza threats; animal lab in Kanke on anvil OUR CORRESPONDENT Paul White at the workshop in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Hardeep Singh The lethal avian influenza virus H5N1 may not be responsible for crow deaths in Jharkhand, a team from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations said on Thursday. The observation is in direct contradiction of lab reports from Indian Veterinary Research Institute’s (IVRI) Bareilly centre, which after testing dead crow samples last December issued an H5N1 alert. Paul White, the officer-in-charge of the FAO team currently touring Jharkhand, insisted that if the virus were indeed H5N1, it would have spread to other animals and also human beings. His claim is contrary to a theory of possible mutation that can restrict a viral strain to a particular species. “It is hard to digest that H5N1 is responsible for crow deaths (more than 4,000 scavengers have died across Jharkhand in the past three months). The birds died of attack on their brains, which can be because of some disease in this particular species of scavenger, old age or toxic contaminants. We are studying it all,” White, who is in the state for the third time in quick succession, said. He added special teams were spending time in Jharkhand to understand the local ecology in a better way. The UN organisation on Thursday kicked off a two-day technical workshop for veterinary professionals and experts from four neighbouring states in eastern India — Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The aim is to train them on ways to identify influenza threats and deal with them. Director of animal husbandry department A.G. Bandopadhyay said 35 doctors from Jharkhand, five from Chhattisgarh and 10 from Bihar were attending the event. “Representatives from Odisha could not join us today because of a flu outbreak there,” he added. The training also assumes importance for Jharkhand as the state is soon expected to boast a state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory for animals. “A BSL (biosafety level) 2 lab is coming up in Kanke, which will be on a par with international facilities. Construction is over and we are in the process of installing high-end equipment,” Shailendra Tiwari, a scientist in the animal husbandry department, said.  http://telegraphindia.com/1120120/jsp/jharkhand/story_15028486.jsp

Animal-Related Diseases Concern Scientists #h5n1 #birdflu

uary 04, 2012

Animal-Related Diseases Concern ScientistsHealth researchers and wildlife biologists say the number of infectious diseases that have jumped the boundary from animals to humans and between animal species is on the rise. Scientists believe the increase may be a result of more frequent contact between humans and wild animals, as well as the growing trade in wild animals, both legal and illegal.


Towards the end of the 1990s, several Asian countries lived one of their worst health nightmares. A new, highly pathogenic, strain of Avian Influenza known as H5N1 killed hundreds of people. Over the next years, more than 9-million chickens were destroyed in an effort to stem the epidemic. Scientists believe the H5N1 virus was transmitted from wild birds to domestic poultry and pigs, which then passed it to humans. H5N1 is just the latest of various influenza strains that have killed up to 100 million people over the last century.

Now scientists are concerned about the appearance of new illnesses. Jonathan Sleeman is the director of the National Wildlife Health Center at the U.S. Geological Survey.

"Human health, wildlife health and domestic animal health are all interconnect within the context of the environment," said Sleeman. "And environmental changes and changes in environmental quality will have negative impacts in all 3 groups."

Experts say there are many causes: the increasingly rapid ..  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Animal-Related-Diseases-Raise-Concern-with-Scientists-136677768.html

Egypt: FAO Confirmed Human Infected & Death #H5N1 #Birdflu

hat-tip Giuseppe Michieli [Flu Trackers]

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