Commentary on Past 4 Months of Events Leading Up to H7N9 Outbreak

I'll take you back to December, and bring you up-to-date on articles out of Vietnam and China, with a few enlightening stories on the side...very interesting events leading up to this outbreak of H7N9.  I have been tracking news in Vietnam for years now, and I don't recall their poultry being laden with antibiotis to the point that they were dangerous to consume.  
These are all excerpts, along with the link to the post here at the Pandemic Information News. 

12/11/12...

At the Steering Committee meeting national bird flu occurred pm 11/12, in Hanoi, Tan Xuan Thanh, deputy director of the Department of Animal Health said 100 percent of waste chicken smuggled across the border infection remains residual antibiotics...Department of Animal Health has examined samples of smuggled poultry in Lang Son, up to 60% were infected with influenza virus A.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/vietnam-60-poultry-smuggled-in-lang-son.html

  Status poultry smuggled from across the border massively smuggled consumption of our country which is the burning of the agricultural sector for many years. Work to prevent illegal chicken is even more difficult when smuggled sophisticated tricks, beyond the control of functional forces. In particular, since September, the state bird smuggling rife than ever.

According to calculations by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the average weekly authorities discovered 15 -18 tons of smuggled poultry in Hanoi. 
...100,000 tons chicken smuggled in October. 

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/vietnam-each-week-18-tons-of-smuggled.html

In addition to these factors, Dr. Nguyen Huu Doan said, in life super chicken eggs, after hatching until it is condemned, farmers injected 12 - 15 times the vaccine types in the chicken. This is to prevent the disease is mainly caused by the virus (virus) causes such as avian flu (H5N1), translated Coliza, reduced tongue syndrome, also called chicken cholera RU (newcastle); gumboro; beans; chicken toi (fowl) .. .

...When eating chicken antibiotic residues will definitely harm to consumers. In particular, some consumers are allergic. If you eat a variety of meat, the human body can generate drug-resistant microorganisms, oily antibiotics should they cause human disease is very difficult to treat. At the same time, eating chicken antibiotics also reduce the immune response of the body, causing the body to gradually become weak, reducing the resistance. These people can not live without antibiotics. Even some antibiotics can cause cancer for consumers ...

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/vietnam-identifying-chicken-harm-from.html 

In December, this was also posted:  Pigs in China w/Avian Flu

In the lab, pigs have been infected experimentally by all avian H1-H13 subtypes. However, natural transmission of avian influenza to pigs has been documented only rarely.

“We recommend strongly that the pork industry worldwide should monitor the prevalence of influenza in pigs, considering their important role in transmitting this virus to humans,” said Dr. Zhang.

The article can be found at: Su S et al. (2012) Seroepidemiological evidence of avian influenza A virus transmission in pigs in southern China.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2012/12/pigs-in-chinas-guangdong-province.html


January 9th, this was posted:

... Dam Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director Department of Animal Health warnings, 90% of samples were discarded chicken smuggled from China contain toxic residue and more than 42% of the samples avian influenza virus.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/vietnam-deputy-dir-dept-animal-health.html



Back to Vietnam, here is a story of a guy, bought pigs slaughtered them, then he died, and they got rid of the pigs..but the townsmen were not happy, they protested...

He sharpened, Chairman Dai Tan confirmed the pigs destroyed the of Vo Thien Born, head of the veterinary and General Tan. 4-2 previously, she Pham Thi Nguyet (42) Binh Tay village pig slaughterhouse owner, Dai Thang buy his 24 pigs Born furnace brought to slaughter sold.

However, after surgery, eight pigs, Nguyet with symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding.

..."Right now we do not identify the pig disease that was nothing but two people died when exposed to pigs. First, we will destroy the remaining diseased swine disease swine and submit the form to the Regional Veterinary IV in Da Nang to check the results and will soon have to reassure people, "Thien said.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/02/vietnam-2-dead-people-protested.html 

February 20th - Here's a story on the Migration this winter/Spring:

Schedule and migration path similar Mallard ducks are considered a source of spreading bird flu confirmed for the first time in the country of South Korea. According to the National Environmental Research Institute, Mallard ducks that have passed the winter in the river Gokgyo, Asan, South Chungcheong back in November 2011 to that location in December 2012 through the Yalu river and a number of regions in China and Mongolia. It is known by the position detection device attached to the Mallard ducks by the National Environmental Research Institute. Al-result, it obtained information about Mallard duck, like a nest, habits and migration distance. Meanwhile, the results are useful to provide effective measures to prevent the entry of bird flu emerged in China or Mongolia.

 On February 25th, China actually tightened up incoming travelers from Cambodia:

China's quarantine authority announced on Monday that it has ordered strengthened prevention against avian influenza H5N1 after the disease infected five people in Cambodia last month.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/02/china-increase-strengthen-travelers.html

On March 4, the CDC announced a human vaccine for H5N1 Avian Influenza...

Starting on Friday, the CDC began to provide a vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza and the service will continue until the end of August, the agency said.
The CDC recommended that people who work in the inspection and quarantine sectors, medical institutes and those who frequently visit countries with reported outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu should get vaccinated against the virus.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/03/cdc-announces-h5n1-human-vaccination.html

And on March 6th, we come full circle back to Vietnam and the Poultry with Antibiotics in them...China has been injecting their poultry for years against H5N1, why is there so much residue in them now that they are unfit for human consumption?  Could there be a new strain evolving? 

The first two months of 2013, smuggled chickens still raging inland country as tens of thousands of kilograms of detection, arrest.

Concerns than tens of smuggled chicken samples found to contain residues of antibiotics toxic and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. 

-snip-

al chicken reappeared, DAH (MARD) has taken five samples of chicken from here, the results show that all five samples are detected antibiotic residues sulphadiazine. Also in Hanoi, Lang Son 4/5 chicken samples to detect toxic antibiotics. Total sample culling chickens tested 20 samples, including 19 samples with residues of antibiotics, accounting for 95 percent. More hazardous, the Department of Animal Health said detected 37 out of 80 samples of live poultry in Quang Ninh positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. This is considered one of the causes of outbreaks and the spread of bird flu on a large scale today. important thing is the chicken smuggling tricks "bald" increasingly sophisticated, more gimmicks. 

 http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/03/vietnam-bulk-samples-of-smuggled.html

March 8th:  I can't recall reading about smuggling cats into Vietnam over the border of China, but this year they are...

TP - 6-3, patrol and traffic control-center Corporation (Rail Road Police Department - Police in Quang Ninh province) discovered and arrested two consecutive transfers large number of chicks and cats smuggled from the border inland.

Thai Binh heading control Mong Cai- Halong force detection function on the vehicle carrying 1.1 tons of cat no papers, no invoice enclosed.

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2013/03/vietnam-confiscated-cats-poultry.html

 

  

Bird flu spreads in Vietnam ominous #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

 2012-02-21
  The bird flu continues to spread in Vietnam that the prime minister yesterday 20/2 to a public emergency epidemic prevention and suppression services.

  AFP

  H5N1 influenza vaccine in poultry.

 In that situation should have self-protection measures, preventive as well as the community itself like?.

  Gia Minh noted the advice from experts and updated some information regarding the current avian influenza in Vietnam.

  Not have any specific drug treatment for influenza 

  Information from Vietnam Veterinary Department said earlier this week until February 20 H5N1 avian influenza has appeared in 11 provinces and cities nationwide. Đó là các địa phương Thanh Hóa, Quảng Trị, Sóc Trăng, Hà Nam, Hải Dương, Thái Nguyên, Kiên GIang, Bắc Giang, Hà Tĩnh, Hải Phòng và Quảng Nam. It is the local Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Thai Nguyen, Kien Giang, Bac Giang, Ha Tinh and Hai Phong and Quang Nam.

There are places like Ho Chi Minh City said it was determined not to spread disease harmful to birds and humans as two cases of H5N1 virus died in Kien Giang and Soc Trang in last January.

  First of avian influenza situation and developments related diseases for as complex as this, some industry experts have given to all measures taken to prevent infection.

So far we certainly do not have any specific drug treatment for the flu at all.  On the mass media and some analysts say is Taniflu cure; but I only answer questions such relatively inaccurate.  Because there is no specific treatment should always occur in influenza

  medical Nguyen Dinh Nguyen

  Health authorities are checking cattle. AFP 

  MD Nguyen Dinh Nguyen from Australia talks about the measures to be applied in man:

. The prevention of influenza A H5N1 influenza prevention in particular and in general the characteristic inability to treat the flu: so far we certainly do not have any specific drug treatment for the flu at all.  On the mass media and some analysts say is Taniflu cure; but I only answer questions such relatively inaccurate.  Because there is no specific treatment method in which the flu should also occur. 
. The second point is also the year that vaccination against influenza that still has the flu.  The reason for the influenza A virus vaccine in flux that is applied to the production this year from two years ago, would have been expected, that fact may not occur as expected, desired.  In any flu also occurred, and heavy or light depending on the virus cycle back, and climatic conditions, environmental, human conditions which caused it to impact change, we are not far could know.

  What year also vaccinated against influenza, but still the flu.  The reason for the influenza A virus vaccine in flux that is applied to the production this year from two years ago, would have been expected, that fact may not occur as expected, desired.... 

Gà bệnh được mang đi thiêu hủy. Was taken sick chickens destroyed. AFP 

...From day 14 to February 16, the Department of Animal Health and representatives of international organizations in Vietnam such as the World Health WHO, the Food and Agriculture FAO, OIE World Animal Health conducted the workshop entitled 'Link four sides in the fight against bird flu '.

  Until last February 18, the National Steering Committee Prevention of avian influenza emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures. One of the measures was made to MARD for the prime minister to send written request for 13 billion to buy 50 million doses of H5N1 vaccine, strain Re-5 1st vaccination this year.

  According to forecasts made in 2012 it will need 327 million doses of vaccine to vaccinate poultry.  The immediate import of 50 million doses of vaccine from China to vaccinate poultry in the southern region where the H5N1 virus has not changed. 
  Information from the Vietnam Department of Animal Health said earlier Vietnam H5N1 virus detected three branches: one in the south branch, north branch and the branch 2.3.4 7 capable of highly infectious.Recently discovered in the north branch new virus is 2.3.2, however this division into two groups and the vaccine is no longer effective with this branch... 
. http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=vi&tl=en&u=http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/the%2520measur-again-contrc-bird-flu-02212012141109.html&usg=ALkJrhiHgf6X7lwyuheCMZlooCTJDdGbmg

Vietnam found that the first influenza A H3N2 influenza patients 2-year-old girl

14:00, 16 February 2012
 BEIJING, February 16, according to the "Central News Agency reported on the 16th, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health to prevent the Board confirmed, has been found that Vietnam influenza A H3N2 influenza patients. This is the first time in 11 months since the discovery of new influenza patients.

The patient is a 2-year-old little girl, living in the southern Long An River (Long An). Children's Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City in April last year due to a cold treatment, but fortunately has been cured.

Medical staff to suspect that the girls a sense of suffering from swine flu related samples to the World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory. On the 10th of last month, the laboratory informed the girls a sense of suffering from Influenza A H3N2 swine flu.

The test results indicate that this virus will not spread from person to person.


According to reports, Vietnam (H1N1) bird flu in poultry in 10 provinces and cities outbreak, coupled with the new influenza crisis, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health instructed the relevant departments to strengthen the poultry and livestock epidemic prevention work. http://www.chinanews.com/gj/2012/02-16/3673972.shtml

U.S. funding anti-bird flu in Vietnam #H5N1 #H7N9

[The Case Fatality Rate of 50% quoted below is for the H5N1 Human Cases in 2012.  According to my list , I have 5 confirmed cases with 3 death.]

U.S. funding for prevention of avian influenza in Vietnam.  Department of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Diagnostic Center for Central and regional centers, and laboratories involved are the beneficiaries of funding 1 million 700 thousand U.S. dollars by the Development Authority International, USAID awarded many more.

Announcement of the U.S. Embassy reported this today, which is a new project with funding by USAID and the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, done.

Mr. Van register, Chief Veterinary Epidemiology, Department of Animal Health of Vietnam said information related to activities that can be provided more funding from USAID mentioned features of the United States: To be agreed, we I have extensive monitoring program, which focuses primarily on waterfowl Forum Mekong Delta, and the North we do in some northern provinces border-related issues for the early detection of smuggled .

At the center, we are building a national program. That program is the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to approve the long-term program from 2013 to 2017. That's one of the things that we are doing in the prevention of disease.

According to Dr. Scott Newman, technical coordinator of FAO Senior, an important current in Vietnam is ready to improve prevention and monitoring risk to the recent H5N1 flu kills a 4-year-old boy in Dong Thap. Besides monitoring the appearance of H7N9 virus. This strain has not appeared in Vietnam raging, but last February death in China kills 40 people.

In southern Vietnam last 4 deaths due to H1N1 influenza, commonly called swine flu. 
Particularly avian influenza H5N1 in Vietnam in the first case appeared in 2003. As of the 2012 influenza virus has infected 122 people this, and the mortality rate is 50%.

 http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/us-sup-proj-av-influ-vn-06192013063254.html

Vietnam: New Strain 2.3.2.1 Has Not Yet Been Found in Humans; Unexpectedly Appears in July, Very Uncommon

2012-09-14

HANOI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu has spread to two more provinces in northern Vietnam as of Sept. 14, making the total number of provinces infected with the disease to seven, local media reported on Friday.

In Tuyen Quang province, more than 17,600 infected fowls had been culled, a reporter of Vietnam's state-run News Agency told Xinhua on Friday.

He said bird flu first appeared in one commune in Son Duong district on Aug. 10, and as of Sept. 7 it spread to other nine communes in this district and Tuyen Quang provincial town.

To prevent the spreading of H5N1 virus, the province's Department of Animal Health has implemented strict measures in response to the epidemics, including establishing a Steering Committee for avian influenza epidemic prevention and control at all levels from district to commune, setting up mobile checkpoints to control illegal poultry transportation, killing infected poultry and stopping all poultry slaughtering, purchasing and transporting activities in the infected areas.

So far, the local authority has supplied 10,000 liters of disinfectant and 70 tons of lime powder to clean those areas having infected poultry. In addition, the national reserve support fund has provided the province with 250,000 doses of bird flu vaccines.

Nguyen Van Quang, a local resident in Yen Son district, which is close to the provincial town of Tuyen Quang, told Xinhua on Friday, that his family raises a flock of about 50 fowls. Thanks to his careful breeding, the flock is safe and growing well.

Meanwhile, in Hoa Binh province, four hamlets in two communes in Luong Son district have 1,140 infected fowls and 848 others died, reported local media on Wednesday. The local authority instructed the culling of all infected poultry and implemented measures to prevent the expanse of the disease.

According to the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnam' s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of Sept. 12, bird flu has spread to seven provinces in Vietnam's northern and central regions including Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Giang, Quang Ngai, Tuyen Quang and Hoa Binh.

In early September, the ministry released news that a new bird flu strain was developing unexpectedly in Vietnam and caused a big concern to the government and public.

According to the National Animal Health Diagnosis Center, the new strain of bird flu virus, which is suspected to have higher risk of causing human death than previously known ones, appeared in July and strongly spread in August in Vietnam's central and northern provinces.

The new strain was thought to belong to H5N1 - Clade 2.3.2.1, which is different from the two strains of A and B that appeared in Vietnam in 2011, due to its higher pathogenic risk.

Apart from the newly-found strain of the virus, the bird flu has developed unexpectedly in the country so far this year. Normally, avian influenza appears shortly before or after the traditional lunar Tet holidays, which often falls in late January and early February. However, it has appeared since July this year and fast spread with unexpected signs.

According to local experts, the epidemic would become more complicated once it reaches its peak in the coming months.

As of mid-September, four cases of A/H5N1 infection had been recorded with two deaths in Vietnam, but the new strain of bird flu virus has not yet been found in humans, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Editor: Fang Yang

Vietnam Add a patient dying of bird flu

Monday, February 27, 2012 6:39:36 PM

VIETNAM (NV) - Tuesday bird flu patient in Vietnam this year is in critical condition. According to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases Saigon Phu Truong Son patients 22 years old, Pacific residents can hardly escaped death.
According to 'Bee.net.vn', Truong Phu Son was taken to hospital emergency February 23 because of high fever, pneumonia, respiratory failure ... Test results of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Pasteur Institute in Saigon showed that patients positive for H5N1 bird flu virus.



 Vietnam is facing a wave of new H5N1 flu. (Image: Hoang Dinh Nam / AFP / Getty Images)



Patients who had medical treatment thus far, but health is not good.

This is the third disease virus infection of bird flu in Vietnam since early this year. Two former patients are killed including a young duck in Soc Trang 18 years old and a 26-year-old woman living in Kien Giang province.

On the other hand the Pasteur Institute, avian flu has spread in 11 provinces in Vietnam and can spread from cattle to human with very high mortality rate  http://www.nguoi-viet.com/absolutenm2/templates/viewarticlesNVO.aspx?articleid=145154&zoneid=2

Vietnam struggles to fight HFMD, H5N1 flu

Thursday, 23 February 2012

The Health Ministry’s Preventive Health Department has asked all local authorities to set up steering boards for epidemic prevention and control to combat Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and H5N1 avian flu that have spread rapidly and killed 11 children so far.

A child with HFMD being treated at the Obstetrics-Pediatrics Center in central Da Nang City on February 22, 2012, Photo: Tuoi Tre

At yesterday’s meeting on epidemic control, Nguyen Van Binh, head of the department, said local authorities should not wait to set up an interdisciplinary board until 24 hours after the declaration of epidemic as currently regulated, since such a delay will affect the efficiency of the fight against the diseases, he said.

The Health Ministry yesterday sent messages to chairpersons of the People’s Committees of provinces and cities asking them to prepare enough manpower, supplies and finances to cope with the epidemics.

Members of the local steering boards must be assigned to specific tasks to prevent and control the epidemic effectively.

The boards should advise all families to ensure hygienic conditions for children’s eating, drinking and playing. It is necessary to keep children’s toys clean and practice regular hand washing among children and their caretakers, the Health Minister said in the messages.

Veterinary workers in Quang Tri Province prepare to burn ducks that have contraced the H5N1 flu virus (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Rapid spread

The department reported that 6,328 HFMD cases had occurred in 60 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities during the first 6 weeks of the year, killing 9 children, and that the ratio of death to total HFMD cases in the period was 0.14 percent, equal to that in 2011, the year with the worst-ever HFMD epidemic.

This year’s epidemic may be more severe than that of last year, since it has broken out sooner - in January-February instead of April or May as in 2011, the department warned.

Meanwhile, after 20 months with no cases of humans contracting the H5N1 flu virus, the disease has re-occurred and spread to 12 provinces and cities so far, affecting 2 people in southern Kien Giang and Soc Trang provinces. Both have died.

Bac Ninh province is the latest that has been affected by the disease, following 11 other localities, including Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Soc Trang and Kien Giang, the Veterinary Department reported.

Vien Quang Mai, vice rector of Nha Trang city-based Pasteur Institute, states that the HFMD cases have increased in all central provinces, especially in Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh, and killed a people in Da Nang city.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of affected localities this year has increased by three, said Dang Van Ky, head of the department’s Epidemiology Division.

Ky forecast that the number of HFMD patients this year may be the same as last year (110,000 cases), but the death toll may be lower, since there is now a new treatment regimen for the disease.

Health workers spray antiseptic to prevent the spread of H5N1 flu virus (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Flu vaccine not highly effective

Ky warned that the H5N1 avian flu has evolved to have sub-clade 2.3.2, which itself developed into two types A and B, in which the former is three times more dangerous than the latter. Meanwhile, the H5N1-Re 5 vaccine, which has been used to vaccinate poultry in the country for the past several years, has been found too weak to cope with the sub-clade.

In addition, a survey of 30 provinces and cities showed that the average proportion of poultry bearing the H5N1 virus was 4.13 percent, with Ha Tinh taking the lead with 18 percent. These rates were far higher than those of last year, when the average rate was just 1.6-2 percent and the highest was not more than 6 percent.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which has asked the Finance Ministry to facilitate the import of 50 million doses of H5N1-Re 5, has therefore forecast that the country might suffer a large bird flu epidemic this year.

Ky also warned that in the past four years, the rate of mortality among H5N1 flu cases was 100 percent, while in the previous period, the rate was just 50 percent. This situation proves the virus has evolved to be more dangerous.

Vietnam-Bird flu specter rises again #H5N1 #BIRDFLU

Friday, February 10, 2012 08:20:00

Experts say greater vigilance and prompt action are needed to prevent the virus from spreading to epidemic proportions

Live chicken and ducks sold illegally on Truong Dai Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap District. Experts have urged better vigilance among fowl farmers and traders to avoid bird flu outbreaks.

Le Thi Bay raises dozens of chickens in her back yard that are slaughtered on special occasions like the death anniversary of ancestors.

She has never had the fowls vaccinated against bird flu, except once several years ago when local authorities offered free vaccinations for chickens and ducks following an epidemic of the H5N1 virus.

“It’s only a couple of chickens. Many others who breed small number of chickens at their house also don’t have them vaccinated,” said the retired midwife in Long An Province’s Chau Thanh District.

Just before the Tet (January 23) festival, she gave her relative in Ho Chi Minh City two chicken who brought them back alive although it is illegal to transport live fowl into the city. The chickens were later slaughtered for a meal as an offering to deceased ancestors – a traditional ritual conducted on the third day of the lunar year.

The rearing, consuming and gifting of chicken is common practice. This has prompted experts to warn of low awareness of the dangers posed by bird flu that claimed two lives last month - an 18-year-old man in Kien Giang and 26-year-old woman in Soc Trang province.

“Many farmers have ignored the crucial preventive measure of vaccination and often panicked once bird flu spreads,” said Nguyen Xuan Binh, director of the Animal Health Agency No. 6 (The agency monitors animal health issues in HCMC and the provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Tay Ninh).

Duc, owner of a large chicken farm in Long An, said only those breeding thousands of chickens at a time like him have their fowls vaccinated because the possible damage is significant.

A vet in Long An, who wanted to remain unnamed, pointed out that it was dangerous for farmers to ignore vaccination or refuse to cull diseased fowls.

“Many farmers go to local veterinary medicine shops to buy bird flu vaccine. After learning that the vaccine is only sold at the provincial animal health department that is far away, they just ignore the vaccination,” he said, adding that the vaccine should be sold through private vet medicine shops for better prevention against the disease.

He said that during the spread of bird flu over the past years, many farmers refused to hand the animals to local animal health authorities for culling just because of some delay.

“The government has supported farmers who have culled diseased chickens. The support per chicken is sometimes higher than the market price but the farmers still sold their fowls for quick money,” he said.

Risky trade

Meanwhile, the illegal trade of live chickens and ducks in HCMC thrives, posing a greater risk of the spread of the H5N1 virus.

A quick tour around the city found live chickens and ducks being sold at many places, including Le Duc Tho, Ben Xom Cui, Pham Hung and Pham The Hien streets in Go Vap District and District 8.

Phan Xuan Thao, director of the HCMC Animal Health Agency, said the city has formed a mobile task force including the traffic police, market watchdogs, animal health agency and youth volunteers to act against illegal fowl trading on the streets.

“However, local authorities should monitor those places more closely because they often resume trading of live fowls soon after we leave,” he said.

With just four stations at entry points into the city, Thao said they can only inspect the transport of big consignments of fowl. It is difficult to monitor small loads, he said.

Bird flu first hit Vietnam in 2003 and it has killed and led to the forced culling of millions of fowls in Vietnam. A total of 119 human cases had been confirmed as of March 2011, including 59 fatalities.

On February 5, the Department of Animal Health confirmed a recurrence of bird flu in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang after 90 chickens in My Xuyen District’s Ngoc Dong Commune died and tested positive for the disease.

Soc Trang was the third province, after Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri in the north-central region, to report the recurrence of bird flu this year.

Virulent virus

Experts have stressed the need for multiple preventive measures because even vaccinated fowl may contract the virus.

“Poultry producers and the general public should always take simple precautions to reduce exposure to the virus from infected poultry,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.

“These include extra vigilance in cases of sudden disease and death in poultry, rapid reporting of disease to the authorities and good hygiene practices while handling, slaughtering and preparing poultry for consumption,” the statement said.

There is no evidence to suggest yet that this new strain of the virus, spotted in August last year, carries any increased risk to human health, it added. EDIT: BULLSHIT

The antigenic variant that still belongs to clade 2.3.2.1 genetically, was first detected in Vietnam in January 2011, and had been confirmed only in two northern provinces by July 2011.

“A vaccine is required for protection of poultry against the antigenic variant detected within the clade 2.3.2.1. The work on this has already started in leading laboratories. Fortunately this 'variant' virus within the new clade 2.3.2.1 is having limited geographical circulation among poultry at the moment,” the statement said.  EDIT: BULLSHIT

Santanu Bandyopadhyay, senior technical coordinator at FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) Vietnam, said the high pathogenic avian influenza virus circulating in Vietnam since 2003/04 is already very virulent for poultry.

“There are some viruses within this new 2.3.2.1 (strain) in Vietnam from which poultry could not be protected at all by the current vaccine. Just remember that this new clade including the non-protectable 'rogue' viruses are in the north only so far,” he said.

“The current vaccine is able to protect poultry against the majority of the viruses in the new clade 2.3.2.1 and also the existing clade 1, if properly vaccinated,” he said, adding that the new vaccine for poultry may take between 6 months to 2 years to develop with all safety and protection parameters completed as per international protocol.

  http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/pages/20120210-bird-flu-specter-rises-again.aspx

Indonesia: MOH "3 Deaths of 5 Human Cases with Clade 2.3.2.1 in China & Hong Kong"

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - At least 15 countries, including Indonesia, has reported to the UN agency for health affairs, WHO, the bird flu cases "clade" newly discovered in birds, but in Indonesia so far has not infect humans. "So far no No cases of bird flu (clade) in humans in Indonesia recently. latter case is still young IT (4) of the Long Parung, Bogor, died on December 6, 2012 that the virus is still a long clade 2.1," said Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health ( P2PL) Ministry of Health Tjandra Yoga Aditama in a statement on Monday. 

All 15 countries that have reported the discovery of bird flu virus "clade" that the new Iran, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Japan, Romania, Bulgaria, Laos, Indonesia and Russia.   

According to the WHO, in the period September 2012 in February, the virus was detected in wild birds (wild birds) in Hong Kong, India and Nepal, and on farms in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Vietnam. "Human cases still only exist in three cases, namely Bangladesh and China, including Hong Kong five cases. Bangladesh are all mild cases. cases in China (including Hong Kong) passed away three of their five cases," Tjandra said.  [Tiga = three -- Original Text: 
"Kasus pada manusia tetap hanya ada di Bangladesh yaitu ada tiga kasus dan China termasuk Hong Kong lima kasus. Kasus Bangladesh semuanya ringan. Kasus di China (termasuk Hongkong) meninggal tiga dari lima kasus mereka," kata Tjandra.]


Meanwhile in Indonesia, the Ministry of Health to prepare the return of bird flu, including the new clade virus transmission among others, by issuing circulars to district health office. "After Welfare Coordination Meeting on December 27, 2012, we have made ​​a second circular on December 28, the contents of which reaffirmed the first circular dated December 11, 2012 and added the results of meetings held, "said Tjandra. few things added in that circular Tjandra explained is the existence of health posts and handling activities in the port.  "Staff are also actively P2PL checks to the provinces and CTF on their readiness, and there have been a lot of feedback as advanced circular to district / city, availability of drugs and others, " said Tjandra. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health also continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out the update (up date) data on birds and activities on the ground.(A043/S023)