U.S. Bans Japan Beef Imports After Foot-And-Mouth Outbreak

By Fergus Maguire

May 21 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. banned beef from Japan after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the southern prefecture of Miyazaki.

Imports of boneless beef were banned in an import alert issued on April 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in an e-mailed statement today. Japan shipped about $6 million worth of beef to the U.S. in 2009, Dow Jones reported today.

Mexico-Health-risk groups urged to immunize

Increased respiratory infections and affect 60% of departments
There is increased reporting of acute respiratory infections in the country, said Ivan Allende, director of the Health Surveillance. "60% of the departments are at epidemic stage. What we had not had until now was the evidence of influenza virus circulation, although other respiratory viruses, "he said.
Flu doses have already been distributed to all health regions of the country so that they cater to different hospitals, centers and dependent on the health portfolio, he said.

He reported that as of this week, the Directorate General of Health Surveillance of the MSP, incorporates parts of respiratory infections and influenza, after the Central Public Health Laboratory confirmed a type of influenza virus from one of testing. The confirmed case of influenza B is a seasonal virus, said Allende.

This case involves a young person who comes from Luque, without warning signs, and that does not integrate risk groups, he said.

He noted that predominantly parainfluenza virus 2, which has symptoms very similar to the flu, but not of the same gravity as in children under five years dominated by Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which causes boxes usually known as bronchiolitis and affects younger infants.

Birds and rotten pig parts.. smuggling for you

Friday, 21/05/2010, 07:03
(ANTD) - While many provinces in the north are cumulative effort against blue ear epidemic situation is still a quiet place but equally hot, such as smuggling, transporting poultry, organ "dirty" fallen through Lang Son.


For example, type the other chicken sellers 15.000d/kg very cheap, the lowest price in Vietnam is also 4 times (60.000d/kg), so take advantage of the trail borders, people trafficking illegally using every trick, put chicken on consuming countries illegally profited. With tear odd tricks, and put up with the goods on the passenger car, truck, they've been shipping large quantities of poultry and cattle organs of the provincial domestic consumption. No one knows that some poultry diseases out why, and how the colon, heart, and five pigs were color, smell the stench will affect how health. This is always the danger of disease spread, especially at this time, when people of many provinces and cities as hell because the disease injury livestock and poultry.

..PRRS keeps on spreading in Phu Yen with the help of smugglers

Friday, 21-05-2010, 07:04 (GMT +7
..According to reflect the people, on the route Xuan Lanh (Dong Xuan) - Van Canh (Binh Dinh), many small tonnage vehicles transporting pigs have been slaughtered in Phu Yen consumption. To avoid veterinary forces, drivers often transport pig at night, take shortcuts ... Besides, in some localities, people are still indifferent to the blue ear pig disease, and food is sold Fresh food. According to the newspaper reporter, Phu Yen, recently, a number of eateries in the district of Phu Hoa, Dong Xuan still sell more soup in the morning and many people still prefer to use. While the purchase and transportation of pigs in the province of Phu Yen difficult to control, so consumers can eat infected pig blood pudding. Article worrying swine streptococcus disease can infect humans, which is one reason eating infected pig blood pudding. This situation has been the industry expert warned.

Patients 'weird' life-threatening maternal

(24h) - A disease pneumonia 'weird' has invaded the body of the woman. The doctors have made urgent recommendations.
Northern emerging some cases pneumonia "weird" in pregnant women.



Xoan patient care in preventing negative pressure T.U. Tropical Disease Hospital

She called the nurse "Xoan ơi, Dong Thi Xoan patients (19 years old in Haiphong) quietly opened his eyes, looked to the side with the call. Few today, the province has more Xoan patients, blood pressure, heart rate remained stable, but pneumonia is not much progress. Dong Thi Xoan is one of three pregnant women with pneumonia not find the cause in Tropical Disease Hospital T.U.

Tilt the virus causes

Intermediate Doctor Nguyen, associate dean positive treatment of tropical disease hospital in central, lead us to negative pressure room treatment, for patients with dangerous infectious diseases or unknown causes.

Dong Thi Xoan patient is pregnant 24 weeks old, eyes closed and their is a pile on the backs of wires.

Patients after 5-5 day husband, suddenly Xoan high fever, a few days at home not feeling better, the house was put into the provincial hospital. In the provinces a day, that situation does not reduce dyspnea, but also tends to increase, doctors have to transfer patients T.U. Tropical Disease Hospital

Dr. Grant, Ms. Xoan is one of three pregnant women causes of pneumonia are not treated in this hospital. All three patients were hospitalized for pregnancy, which she Yung in Soc Son, Hanoi is 34 weeks pregnant, was admitted to hospital as manifested high fever, severe pneumonia progresses rapidly.

Patients who are pregnant so the doctor is limited only by the X-ray concerns affected the fetus, so the diagnosis quite difficult. All three patients were found to take transplant bacterial swabs and PCR tests to determine the root cause, but results have not discovered the disease-causing bacteria or viruses.

"With one in three patients, we are inclined to choke suspected pneumonia. We have the health of patients follow their good progress. The remaining two patients are twisted and My Linh, viral pneumonia ability higher. There are a number of test cases not find the cause of patients hospitalized due to late departure from the time of disease "- the doctor supply evaluation.

Caution pregnant women with fever

Doctors said the patient level Yung hospitalized two weeks ago, when the fetus at 34 weeks of pregnancy, the hospital held more weeks, she was a premature baby were taken to hospitals and pediatric care Medicine is also stable.

Dr. Grant, if pregnant women 34 weeks premature in return, the risk to the baby will be very high. But fortunately the baby was kept an extra week in the womb, during which time doctors have used drugs to support her lungs mature faster, better help your child when born.

Do not find the root cause for all three patients, the treatment is indicated based on professional experience, the origin is predicted by bacteria or viruses, and specific bacteria, viruses do not cause disease clear.

There Surgeons Tropical Disease Hospital has moved three swabs of patients with this unique about Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology review.

Doctors recommend that pregnant women should level carefully to meet situations such as high fever, cough, choke ... during pregnancy. Some diseases occur in patients with severe manifestations of pregnancy often than normal, treatment is more complex. So, in addition to wellness note, pregnant women need a doctor soon if there are abnormal health.

Vietnam: Eat more soup regardless of disease

Speaking of Da Nang.....[previous post] By the way...it's 15 provinces, not 5.

18/05/2010
As of mid-May, in five provinces and cities of our country has detected acute diarrhea patients and pigs infected with streptococcus. The risk of this disease outbreak on a large scale is huge, but people's awareness of food hygiene is not high.

Not see patients, to eat!

Eat more soup at risk of cholera, streptococcus swine ... However, despite the recommendations of the functional continuity of risk from food hygiene, people still subjective, overlooked.

At the point of sale more soup, pork heart of every brand in Danang [Da Nang Province], every morning is always full of diners. The pig blood pudding cups are the owner prepared to serve the food cold. Quang Anh - Factory workers automobile tires, said a week I eat two to three times more soup. Occasionally, severe abdominal finished eating and he saw signs of loose stools should have to go buy a new oral influenza. "I also read newspapers daily, but serious disease in the tissues rather Danang where you see" - just spoon feed information into the cup, he has distributed to Quang ceiling.
-snip-
Hovering ... pathogens

Although not matched patients described in Da Nang, but the diarrhea cases were receiving treatment at hospitals in the city in recent years largely due to infections from food sources is warned in time of cholera, Streptococcus disease is spread from pigs in many provinces and cities nationwide.

Persons infected swine streptococcus appeared in the time of outbreak of blue ear epidemic is caused by blue ear pig disease resistance has been reduced, creating opportunities for attack streptococcus bacteria, cause disease in pigs and transmitted to people. Be quite severe sepsis and patients after about 2-3 days after exposure, or eating raw or undercooked pork cooked like blood pudding, sour nem, nem pan. For the local people is weak, the evolution of the disease to very fast. The treatment for patients infected with streptococcus swine is not difficult to detect cases and hospitalized early, so when the above symptoms, the patient needs immediate medical establishment to avoid the risk of serious complications and even death.

Long, the people of Vietnam have a habit of eating more soup. It is said that, eat more soup tasty and cool, complementary, is a food "nation." But actually, eating blood pudding is a good habit not scientific and reflect, by the blood of animals are infected germs and impurities during processing.

As reported by the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), from early 2007 until now, there are 42 people infected by the kind of swine Streptococcus serotype 2, in which two people can die in 2 patients meningitis and septicemia. These cases belong in the area of high pig density, or both by eating more pig farming, slaughter, eat dead pigs. This is a warning to those who still see more like a soup dish pleasure Me Especially now.

Vietnam: Da Nang Province: No Doctors in Communes

I took a look at my map for Da Nang Province. I only had one entry.

Dengue
4/26

"In the first four months of the year, Da Nang had 700 cases of dengue fever, increased 21 times over the same period in 2009. More dangerous, many cases when tests showed reduced platelet large percentage but no clinical symptoms, making patients and physicians have difficulty in determining disease

.

Excerpt:
Unsolvable situation the doctor refused to communes
14:40, 20/05/2010 (GMT +7)
(DNDT) - Bad doctors slowdown in online health service communes from many reasons: there is no professional development environment, there is no reasonable remuneration ... This situation involves Implications worth a desk, as the new Health Insurance Law, then the patient will be disadvantaged.

Doctor refused on the basis

In a meeting between city leaders for the health sector last week, no problem doctors clinics in 32 communes in the province of Da Nang has been set to discuss. At this point, absolutely no doctor for medical work, very difficult for patients in the region.

There are clinics like communes of Hoa Vang Hoa Tien, Hoa Chau ... like a miniature hospital, by a majority of patients in the region are looking to explore here, but there were no doctors. Most districts of Da Nang also meet any state has at least two commune health stations, ward no doctor service.

To strengthen medical, health sector has to follow the scheme of Ministry of Health 1816 (appointed professional staff rotate from hospitals to support hospitals to improve the quality of medical care) . Da Nang Health Department has implemented the provisions on "secondment" of online physician districts down to the commune health stations and wards.

However, there are many inadequacies occur in the process of implementing this provision. While online health districts also were met with lack of medical doctors to treat patients, then the transfer of health supplements for communes in which the center is difficult. Not to mention, the transfer also lacks practical rotation in place, doctors still examination and treatment in hospitals of districts in the morning, afternoon to visit the new station down, while patients are always looking to the doctor in the morning.

Another problem, the transfer of specialist stations to become a physician community, the general should examine patients can not be effective. A doctor who specializes in surgery can not be examined, the treatment of skin diseases, diseases of women, children ... not to mention disease, a doctor down the station not only concurrent examination, but must also "embrace digital areas such as food safety, vaccination, disease prevention propaganda ... that the doctors on this route when bored underground.
-snip-
But, according to Pham Hung Chien, Director, Department of Health thah Danang, after months on the policy was announced, only a doctor registered with the health of communes, wards. "Even online district doctors still missing, missing up to 74 online doctor for the district, so the team doctor of communes is obviously extremely difficult," Mr Chien said.
-snip-

Australia-Hendra virus hits Tewantin

21st May 2010


Fruit bats spread the deadly Hendra virus.
Brett Wortman


UP to seven people who may have been exposed to a Hendra-infected horse at Tewantin will have to wait six weeks to find out if they are clear of the life-threatening virus.
The sick horse was put down after staff of Cooroy-based vet Ben Poole visited the affected property on Monday.
The horse, reported to be owned by a mother and daughter who kept the horse as a pet, was described as twitching, circling and wobbly.
A positive Hendra virus result was only confirmed yesterday.
Officers from Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Health were on the property yesterday, talking to the owners and any other people who may have had contact with the horse.
It is the 41st horse to die from the illness, known to be carried by bats and passed on to horses through bodily fluids, since 1994.
Chief veterinary officer Dr Ron Glanville said up to seven people could have been in contact with the horse before it was put down on Monday.
He said the property owner noticed the horse's condition on Monday morning.
Dr Glanville said the vet, who was wearing protective equipment due to his suspicion of Hendra virus, examined the horse.
He said there was a bat colony in the area.
Another horse on the property had not shown any signs of the illness by last night.
Biosecurity officers have quarantined the property as a precautionary measure, with Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin saying the situation was being treated “very seriously”.
“Officers from Biosecurity Queensland will be on the ground in Tewantin tomorrow with information about the Hendra virus," Mr Mulherin said.
Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Branch senior director Dr Christine Selvey said all people who were identified as having been in close contact with the horse, including the owners, would be offered free testing and counselling.
Dr Selvey said there had only been seven confirmed cases of Hendra virus in humans and it was important to note there had been no cases of transmission from human to human.
“Anybody who's potentially come in contact with Hendra virus would be worried.
“And I think it's, obviously, a very scary disease for anybody.”
Dr Selvey said symptoms in humans generally presented within five to 21 days of exposure to the virus.
Queensland Horse Council president Debbie Dekker said most people believed that the Hendra virus was seasonal, coinciding with the flying fox breeding season, from June to August.
“We are fearful people get complacent because they think the Hendra virus is seasonal but this is proof that this is not the case,” Ms Dekker said.
“The fact is we don't know what the stresses are to cause bats to shed the virus. It's circulating in bats at all times – it can happen anytime.”
Four of seven people who have contracted the virus in Queensland have died.
Tewantin-Noosa Pony Club officials did not want to comment on the positive test last night

Experimental vaccine protects monkeys from new Ebola virus

---

May 20, 2010
Enlarge
A colorized transmission electron micrograph of Ebola virus, the cause of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The disease infects people and nonhuman primates and is frequently fatal. The first outbreak of Ebola fever occurred in 1976. Credit: CDC

New research has found that an experimental Ebola vaccine developed by researchers at the National Institutes of Health protects monkeys against not only the two most lethal Ebola virus species for which it was originally designed, both recognized in 1976, but also against a newer Ebola virus species that was identified in 2007.












Nancy J. Sullivan, Ph.D., of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, led the study team, which included collaborators from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Their findings appear May 20 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. Currently, there are no specific treatments or vaccines available to control Ebola outbreaks.

"The important work by Dr. Sullivan and her colleagues shows that it is possible to generate immunity to newly identified species of Ebola virus with a vaccine originally designed to protect against a different species," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "This finding will guide future vaccine design and may open an avenue for developing a single vaccine that works against both known and emerging Ebola virus species."

The experimental Ebola vaccine being developed at NIAID has two components, a prime and a boost. The prime consists of a DNA vaccine containing a small piece of genetic material encoding surface proteins from Zaire ebolavirus and Sudan ebolavirus. The boost consists of a weakened cold virus that delivers the Zaire ebolavirus surface protein.
Previously, Dr. Sullivan and her collaborators demonstrated that the prime-boost strategy produces a strong antibody response in monkeys. More importantly, the experimental vaccine induces a robust reaction by the cellular arm of the immune system. The cellular arm includes T cells, which help orchestrate the overall immune response
.
"An ideal Ebola vaccine would stimulate broad immunity so that we wouldn't have to scramble to create entirely new vaccines whenever new virus species are identified," notes Dr. Sullivan.
However, developing one vaccine to protect against multiple Ebola virus species poses a challenge, she says. To the antibody-producing arm of the immune system, each species looks different. Neutralizing antibodies that recognize one Ebola species cannot readily recognize, or cross-neutralize, the others. T cells, in contrast, can cross-react, even when the target viruses share only small pieces in common.
After the emergence of Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BEBOV) in 2007, Dr. Sullivan's team decided to revisit the prime-boost vaccine regimen to see if the cellular immunity generated would confer protection against the new virus species.

Four cynomolgus macaques received the DNA prime vaccine. A year later, the animals were boosted with the vector vaccine. Shortly after the boost, the four vaccinated monkeys and four unvaccinated ones serving as controls were exposed to lethal levels of BEBOV. All the unvaccinated animals became ill, and three died. None of the vaccinated animals showed any sign of illness. Analysis showed that the vaccinated monkeys developed T-cell responses sufficient to prevent or control infection by the novel Ebola virus species, even though the vaccine did not contain material from BEBOV and no antibodies against BEBOV were produced. The animal study was conducted in maximum-level biosafety containment laboratories at U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Now the research team is evaluating what parts of the T-cell response were critical to the vaccine's success against BEBOV. "Once we identify those critical aspects, we can design future vaccines to better elicit that desired immune cell-based activity and perhaps make a single vaccine that protects against all Ebola virus species," says Dr. Sullivan.



More information: LE Hensley et al. Demonstration of cross-protective vaccine immunity against an emerging pathogenic Ebolavirus species. PLoS Pathogens. DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000904 (2010).

Provided by National Institutes of Health

Scientists create artificial life: World first as genome pioneer makes designer microbe from scratch

By Fiona Macrae
Last updated at 7:11 PM on 20th May 2010

Scientists have created artificial life. In a world-first, Craig Venter, a maverick biologist and billionaire entrepreneur, has made a designer microbe from scratch.

The creation of the new life form, nicknamed 'Synthia', paves the way for the way for customised bugs that could revolutionise healthcare and fuel production.

In future, bacterial 'factories' capable of pumping out vast quantities of vital medicines or producing clean fuels could be designed to order.

Synthetic biology could also be harnessed to create environmentally-friendly bugs, capable of mopping up carbon dioxide or toxic waste.

Dr Venter, a cowboy boot-wearing Vietnam War veteran known for his showman tendencies, proclaimed: 'We are entering a new era where we're limited mostly by our imaginations.'

But the breakthrough, which took 15 years and $40million dollars to achieve, opens a Pandora's box of ethical questions, including concerns that researchers are playing God, tampering with the very essence of life.

Ethicists said he was 'creaking open the most profound door in humanity's history' - with unparalleled risks.

There are fears that the technology, detailed in the journal Science could be abused to create the ultimate biological weapon.

Or that one mistake in a lab could lead to millions being wiped out by a plague, in scenes reminiscent of the Will Smith film I Am Legend.

Dr Venter, who was instrumental in the sequencing of the human genome, had previously succeeded transplanting one bug's genome - its entire cache of DNA - into another bacterium, effectively changing its species.

This picture shows the colonies of the artificial lifeform nicknamed 'Synthia'

He has now taken this one step further, transplanting not a natural genome but a manmade one.

To do this, he read the DNA of Mycoplasma mycoides, a bug that usually infects goats, and recreated it piece by piece.

The fragments were then 'stitched together' and inserted into a bacterium from a different species.

There, it sprang to life, allowing the bug to grow and multiply, producing generation after generation of bugs that were entirely artificial.

The DNA transferred contained around 850 genes - a fraction of the 20,000 or so contained in the human genetic blueprint.

Dr Venter, whose team of 20 scientists includes a Nobel laureate, likens the process to booting-up a computer.

Like a programme without a hard drive, the DNA doesn't do anything by itself. But, when the software is loaded into the computer - in this case the second bacterium - amazing things are possible.

Now that the scientist, whose J Craig Venter Institute has labs in California and Maryland, has proved the concept, the way is open for him to alter the 'recipe' to create any sort of organism he chooses.

At the top of his wishlist are bugs capable of producing clean fuels and of sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Other possibilities include designer microbes capable of mopping up oil slicks or generating huge quantities of drugs, including the flu vaccine.

There are fears the research could be abused and lead to millions being wiped out by a plague like in the Will Smith film I Am Legend

Any such organisms will be deliberately 'crippled' so they cannot survive outside the lab.

Brushing aside the ethical concerns of this work, Dr Venter wrote in his autobiography that it would allow 'a new creature to enter the world'.

'We have often been asked if this will be a step too far,' he said. 'I always reply that - so far at least - we are only reconstructing a diminished version of what is out there in nature.'

Last night, he said the breakthrough has changed his views on the definition of life.

He said: 'We have ended up with the first synthetic cell powered and controlled totally by a synthetic chromosome and made from four bottles of chemicals.

'It is pretty stunning when you just replace the DNA software in a cell and the cell instantly starts reading that new software and starts making a whole new set of proteins and within a short while all the characteristics of the first species disappear and a new species emerges.

'That's a pretty important change in how we approach and think about life.'

The genetic wizardry was carried out on one of the simplest types of bacteria, under strict ethical guidelines and the research team say they cannot envision a day when it could be used to create animals or people from scratch.

British scientists described the research as 'a remarkable advance' and 'a landmark paper'.

Mark Bedau, a philosopher from Portland, Oregon, described it as 'a defining moment in the history of biology'.

But Kenneth Oye, a social scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, warned: 'Right now, we are shooting in the dark as to what the long-term benefits and long-term risks will be.'

Pat Mooney, of the ETC group, a technology watchdog with a special interest in synthetic biology, said: 'This is a Pandora's box moment - like the splitting of the atom or the cloning of Dolly, we will all have to deal with the fall-out from this alarming experiment.'

Dr David King, of the Human Genetics Alert watchdog, said: 'What is really dangerous is these scientists’ ambitions for total and unrestrained control over nature, which many people descibe as "playing God".

'Scientists' understanding of biology falls far short of their technical capabilities. We have already learnt to our cost the risks that gap brings, for the environment, animal welfare and human health.

Professor Julian Savulescu, an Oxford University ethicist, said: 'Venter is creaking open the most profound door in humanity's history, potentially peeking into its destiny.

'He is not merely copying life artificially or modifying it radically by genetic engineering. He is going towards the role of God: creating artificial life that could never have existed naturally.'

He said the creation of the first designer bug was a step towards 'the creation of living beings with capacities and a natures that could never have naturally evolved' and said the risks were 'unparalleled'.

And warned: 'This could be used in the future to make the most powerful bioweapons imaginable.

'The challenge is to eat the fruit without the worm.'

pH1N1 Exceeds 75% Amino Acid Instability in Critical Range with SNP Matching Bird Flu

2010-05-19
Let's examine, for a moment, why this level of change in a pandemic virus is a matter of public concern.

75% Amino Acid Instability + 20% Silent Nucleotide Instability = 95%

Antibody response via the adaptive arm of immunity is developed in the human body against specific amino acid sequences found on a pathogen, e.g. influenza. A viral reservoir continually attempts to escape the host-developed antibody pool by self-revising these defining amino acid sequences. Some reservoirs are more aggressive than others in these self-revisions.

An aggressively revising viral reservoir may effectively escape host antibodies, the mode of defense developed in challenge to a vaccine and / or natural infection, if the pathogen's amino acid changes are widespread, frequent and / or situated in particular areas of the gene code. At this point, all should be aware of individuals who have contracted influenza multiple times, some after having been vaccinated. In these instances, a potential explanation lies in this reservoir's enhanced genetic acquisition cycle.

We continue to evaluate known epitope domains and the surrounding areas in an effort to quantify the potential for immune and / or vaccine escape in this pandemic.

The ΣPF11 reservoir (pH1N1) exceeded the 75% threshold for Amino Acid Instability in a critical HA range with a deposit from the Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive 'L. Spallanzani' in Rome. A/Rome/676/2009, a partial sequence from a 39 year old female sampled on 2009-10-28, carries 242E encoded by a first base revision from aAA to create gAA. Several animal flu serotypes (bird/equine) carry the first base change required to build this novel pandemic 242E, including H2N3, H3N8, H5N1 and the H11 series. Zoonotic changes are now common in this reservoir.

The HA of the Rome676 sequence also carries a synonymous 190D revision (GAt) found in several Italian cities, the Ukraine, the United States and Afghanistan.

As we have previously reported, more than 95% of the Hemagglutinin positions between 186 and 246, including antigenic areas of the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD/RBS), are on record as polymorphic. Only 3 positions in that range are stable. Many positions rate multiple changes. Protein revision is documented at 46 of the 61 positions (75.4%), engaging the potential for antibody resistance (natural immune escape and vaccine escape).

The viral reservoir backing this present H1N1 flu pandemic is far from stable and is actively acquiring new genetics. Current data does not indicate an immediate direction toward stability.

A complete version with the polymorphisms denoted may be referenced for verification. Please review details on the causality behind this particular study in the earliest version.

Jordan suspended imports of poultry and poultry products from Israel

20/05/2010

An official source at the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture said the ministry suspended the import of all poultry and poultry products from Israel following the outbreak of bird flu in Israel, according to a statement recently released by the World Organization for Animal Health on its website.

وقال المصدر إن قرار التعليق استثنى"صوص الأمهات والجدات"عمر يوم واحد، وبيض التفريخ، والبيض الخالي من الجراثيم إلى حين صدور تلاشي المرض نهائيا في قطاع الطيور والدواجن في إسرائيل.

The source said that the suspension excluded "thieves mothers and grandmothers," one day old, and hatching eggs, eggs bacteria-free until the issuance of a final disappearance of the disease in birds and poultry sector in Israel.

وكانت وزارة الزراعة الأردنية قد حظرت الشهر الماضي استيراد الديوك الرومي من إسرائيل بسبب ظهور أمراض وبائية اجتاحت هذا النوع من الطيور الذي تستورده بعض المصانع التي تستخدمه في مصنعات اللحوم.

The Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan last month have banned import of turkeys from Israel because of the emergence of epidemic diseases swept through this kind of birds imported by factories for use in meat artifacts.

[contact me for the link]

Vietnam: Dept. of Animal Health Situation 5/20/10

Update on avian influenza situation, LMLM and green ear on 05/20/2010
Written by: Department of Epidemiology
Department of Animal Health would report on avian flu, foot and mouth epidemic of cattle and swine blue ear as follows:
I. The situation

1. Avian Influenza

Today, there are no reports of new outbreaks arising from the local.

Currently, the province of Dak Lak is still bird flu is not over 21 days.

2. Foot and Mouth Disease

Today, there are no reports of new outbreaks arising from the local.

Currently, the province of Quang Ngai have also translated LMLM not over 21 days.

3. PRRS swine

Thai Nguyen: From 15 / 5 to 05/18/2010, PRRS had occurred in 07 households in 04 new communes are: Integrated Luong Xuan Phuc, Luong Son (tp. Thai Nguyen) and La Hien Commune (Vo district Chew). Cattle are infected and 45 children have been destroyed. So, from now on 03/4/2010, PRRS had occurred in 25 communes and wards in 05 districts are: Phu Binh and Dong Hy, Phu Luong, Vo Chew and Thai Nguyen city. The total number of infected pigs was 2660 children, pigs are killed and destroyed a 1644 baby.

Lang Son: On 05/19/2010, blue ear occurred in 03 households in 03 new communes of Yen Vuong Huu Lung District, and Vinh Hoang Dong Lang Son Farm in the city. Infected cattle is 10 children. So, from now on 04/13/2010, PRRS had occurred in 23 communes, wards of the district Huu Lung, Chi Lang and Lang Son city. The total number of infected pigs is the 1089 child, were killed and the destruction of 489 children.

Quang Ninh: From 14 / 5 as of 19/05/2010, PRRS continued to be detected in the new commune of China and Hong Ha Ha ward (Ha Long tp.), the communes of Minh City, Sweet Song, Republic, Hoa An, Tan An (Yen Hung district) and commune in Son Duong, Tan Dan (Hoanh Bo district). So, from now on 04/15/2010, PRRS had occurred in 26 communes of 07 districts including Dong Trieu, Hung Yen, Hai Ha, Bo Heng, Uong Bi, Lower City Long and Mong Cai city total 3838 pigs infected are children, 1185 child death and destruction.

Cao Bang: From 17 / 5 to 05/19/2010, PRRS continued to be detected in 04 households in the communes of the new Glacier (Cao Bang), and Tuan Vinh Quang Nam commune (district Hoa An). So, from now on 01/5/2010, PRRS had occurred in 11 communes and wards in the town of Cao Bang and Hoa An District 445 pigs to disease, death and destruction of 165 children.

Currently, there are 15 provinces of Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Lang Son, Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Hoa Binh and Cao Bang PRRS not over 21 days.

[contact me for link]

Vietnam: H1N1 influenza, the patient is not alert services ...

20-05-2010

Vietnam has not received any notice of the World Health Organization (WHO) about lifting the H1N1 flu alert level 6 (highest level), has been adopted in nearly a year.

Trao đổi với phóng viên ngày 18-5, Thứ trưởng Bộ Y tế Trịnh Quân Huấn cho biết hai tháng vừa qua, Việt Nam không phát hiện thêm bệnh nhân cúm A/H1N1 nào mới.

Talking to reporters on 18-5, Thursday Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan said the last two months, Vietnam has not detected any more new patients with influenza H1N1.

Tuy nhiên đến nay, Việt Nam chưa nhận được thông báo nào của Tổ chức Y tế thế giới (WHO) về việc dỡ bỏ mức cảnh báo dịch cúm A/H1N1 ở cấp 6 (cấp cao nhất), đã được áp dụng trong gần một năm qua.

However, to date, Vietnam has not received any notice of the World Health Organization (WHO) about lifting the H1N1 flu alert level 6 (highest level), has been applied in nearly past year.

Ngoài ra, Việt Nam cũng chưa nhận được kết luận có hay không chuyện hãng dược vận động hành lang trong vụ dịch cúm A/H1N1 vừa qua để bán văcxin, như nghi vấn của một số chuyên gia y tế châu Âu.

Besides, Vietnam has not received a conclusion about whether pharmaceutical company lobbyists in recent outbreaks of H1N1 influenza vaccine for sale, as suspected by some medical experts in Europe.

Theo ông Huấn, với tình hình kể trên, nếu không hạ mức cảnh báo dịch xuống cấp thấp hơn, các nước thành viên (trong đó có Việt Nam) vẫn áp dụng mức cảnh báo dịch cấp cao nhất, luôn luôn trong tình trạng sẵn sàng chống dịch, tổ chức diễn tập chống dịch, chuẩn bị sẵn cơ sở y tế tiếp nhận bệnh nhân...

According to Mr. Train, with the above situation, if not translated into lower alert level is lower, the member countries (including Vietnam) have applied the highest level alert service, always available in state ready combat service, combat maneuvers service organizations, prepare medical facilities receiving patients ...

Trước đó, TTXVN có dẫn tin từ cuộc họp đại hội đồng y tế thế giới đang diễn ra tại Geneva.

Before that, VNA has led university from meeting the World Health Assembly taking place in Geneva.

Tại đây, tổng giám đốc WHO Margaret Chan cho rằng tin vui là virus cúm A/H1N1 không biến thể thành dạng virus gây chết người nguy hiểm hơn.

Here, WHO Director General Margaret Chan said that news is not influenza virus H1N1 variant of the deadly virus more dangerous.

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International Expert: Egypt completely failed in eliminating the bird flu

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Thursday, May 20th, 2010 - 17:24


Bird flu virus more dangerous and deadly than the swine flu
Mr. Mahfouz books

Dr. Farid Hosni, head of the project "Stop bird flu stop AI" of the U.S. Agency for International Development, that the marriage of viral flu h5n1 and swine flu h1n1 failed the laboratory so far, which means no possibility of the integration of viruses to form a new virus, as scientists have confirmed over the past period .

Hosni said in a speech at the conference organized by the project in collaboration with the General Authority for Veterinary Services today, that the bird flu virus, the most and the most serious deadly swine flu, especially in Egypt, where the mortality rate by 59%, adding Egypt is a candidate among the five countries in the the world must be the next pandemic which, as it is the only country in Africa where the disease still exists yet Nigeria was able to eliminate it completely.

The Hosni, that Nigeria was able to round up and fight against the disease despite the potential vulnerable have followed the wise policy in that is the policy of compensation, as the Government, regardless of compensation for each farmer, large and small and even educators and surprising that such compensation is greater than the market price at the time, but Egypt as Hosni so far failed to eradicate the disease despite the resources they possess.

He said that 90% of farms in Egypt are not registered and therefore does not report the owners for the emergence of cases in which, the purpose of registration is to compensate the farm owners in the event of detecting the disease after being told about his appearance.

Hosni, criticized the policy of vaccination of poultry farms and rural education, asserting that it failed miserably, "The vaccination does not prevent disease but to prevent the onset of symptoms only" and that the rate of immunization in Egypt did not exceed 10% of the proportion of those birds.

He also criticized the policy for the immunization of chicks, "Omar one day," followed by the government until now because it is scientifically proven that these chicks in this age do not have the body immune to accept immunization.

Also launched a sharp attack on the promoters of the disease hitting the elderly and the chronically ill, and said "nonsense" the evidence is that most of the cases during the last year were for children.

Blue ear virus appears in HCM City

Last update 21:02, Thursday, 20/05/2010 (GMT+7)

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VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City Veterinary Bureau has tested 32 pork samples collected from local farms to find four positive with blue ear virus. 17 other samples collected from pork brought to the city from neighbouring provinces are also test positive for the disease.

Blue-ear disease spreads in northern, central regions

The bureau’s representative said that the city is facing high risk from blue ear pandemic, which is a reproductive respiratory disease highly contagious to swine.

Many pork samples collected from other southern provinces like Long An, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai have also tested positive for blue ear virus.

The National Veterinary Agency reported that blue ear is spreading very quickly in the country. Fifteen provinces in the northern and central regions have had over 50,000 blue-ear pigs and at least four people have caught disease from sick pigs.

The agency urged localities to introduce stricter measures to prevent the pandemic from spreading by disinfecting breeding facilities and vaccinating every pig against the disease.

Pork shortages may plague domestic market soon after a large number of farmers stopped raising pigs in response to the blue ear outbreak that has been hitting the country's northern provinces.

Thai Nguyen Province Update: PPRS & H5N1 Poultry

Thai Nguyen Province has PPRS and H5N1 in Poultry. Thai Nguyen Province is about 40 miles north of Hanoi.
Click on map. Note the scale.

Green = PPRS
Yellow = H5N1 Poultry

Excerpt
19/05/2010

With husbandry and veterinary medicine, in May 1-2010, avian influenza appeared in Dai Tu, Thai Nguyen and Ho, 5467 destroyed the child and promptly surrounded and controlled translation. From April to now, blue ear epidemic occurred in 83 hamlets of the three districts of Phu Binh and Dong Hy, Phu Luong. We have destroyed 1237 pigs with a total of 35,932 kg. Currently, PPC is actively directing departments and anti-epidemic measures applied to prevent epidemic.

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Thai Nguyen-More dead pigs in the bird flu zone

pigs with prrs and swine cholera in the bf zone..

Vo Chew destroyed 28 pigs infected with blue ear

Last update: 20/05/2010 08: 23 (GMT +7)

On 19 / 5, the district conducted Vo Chew destroyed 28 pigs with a total of 1179 kg of live pigs in the same neighborhood Na (La Hien commune) and village Red Land (Lau Thuong commune) infected with blue ear (picture).

Before that, in two days 14 and 16 / 5, Veterinary Station received information that the pigs were not the causes of illness in the local. Station in cooperation with local authorities down to households with sick pigs to test. Initially, the pigs in the two neighbors on the symptoms of blue ear disease and cholera. Soon after, station reported Veterinary Department and the DPC leadership, and guide the situation of households with ill treatment regimen, and conduct hygiene and disinfection, disinfectant spray, sprinkle lime powder around around where the pigs were sick, surgery, medical examination and take samples sent for testing. On 18-5, station has received positive for blue ear pig virus and swine.

Station has announced an emergency economic risk to the disease actively conducting epidemic prevention measures such as spraying pesticides, people are not propaganda move pigs out of areas ...

Horse dies from Hendra virus at Tewantin as seven people at risk to be tested

May 20, 2010 9:07PM
VIRUS THREAT: Cooroy veterinarian Ben Poole warns horse owners and other vets to be on alert after one of his staff treated the infected horse. Pic: Megan Slade Source: The Courier-Mail
UP to seven Queenslanders are waiting to find out if they have the potentially fatal Hendra virus.
The dreaded bat-to-horse-to-human disease has returned to haunt southeast Queensland's equine industry after tests on Thursday confirmed a horse put down on Monday at Tewantin, west of Noosa, had the virus.

"It was twitching, it was circling, it was wobbly," Cooroy veterinarian Ben Poole, who had a staff member treat the horse, said.

The mother and daughter owners, believed to have kept the horse as a pet, are two of up to seven people waiting to hear if they have the virus.

Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin said residents on surrounding properties would be contacted about the outbreak.

"We are taking the situation very seriously and are working closely with the property owners and the vet involved and will be contacting neighbours as soon as possible," he said.

Biosecurity Queensland chief biosecurity officer Ron Glanville said the veterinarian who treated the horse had been wearing full protective clothing, including a mask and gloves.

"He suspected Hendra but also other causes such as toxicity but he did the appropriate thing and got the samples back," Mr Glanville said.

"We take any case very seriously. This is a disease that is not highly infectious but if you do get it, is something very serious.

"It certainly has higher than a 50 per cent mortality rate in any horse or person who gets it."

Results of preliminary blood tests on people who came in contact with the sick horse are expected Friday morning.

The property where the horse fell sick is in an area where fruit bats are present. But it is not yet known how the dead animal, buried on the property, contracted the virus or if the other horse on the property has also been infected.

Four Queenslanders have died over the past 16 years after contracting the virus from horses, out of a total of seven cases of the virus in humans.

The most recent outbreak near Rockhampton last August caused the death of veterinary surgeon Alister Rodgers.

Dr Christine Selvey, of Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Branch, said follow-up tests would be done in three weeks.

Hendra's flu-like initial symptoms include runny nose, sore throat or cough. Those could be accompanied by severe headache and other neurological symptoms such as drowsiness, Dr Selvey said.

West Bank: Tulkarem cleared of bird flu

20/05/2010

Nablus – Ma'an – The Tulkarem governorate in the northern West Bank was cleared of bird flu on Thursday, after the Palestinian Authority Agriculture Ministry received results conducted in Israeli medical laboratories, an official said.

Azzam Tbeleh, the ministry's under-secretary, said the Israeli Veterinary Services officially handed over the final results, clearing the Bal'a area in Tulkarem.

The official said that despite being given the all clear, the Palestinian Veterinary Services would endeavour to ensure that Tulkarem was free of avian flu.

At least 750,000 chickens were slaughtered and destroyed in the Tulkarem-area town of Bal'a, as a heavy Palestinian police presence surrounded the area, ensuring area birds diagnosed with bird flu were not transported out.

The village, which exports between 4,000 to 5,000 cartons of eggs per day to areas in the West Bank, and hundreds of pounds of meat, had its poultry stock wiped out following the discovery of bird flu by PA officials from the Ministry of Agriculture.

No human cases of the influenza virus have yet been reported, but officials said they are monitoring the area heavily to ensure proper containment mechanisms are put in place.

Municipal council leader Bal’a Ahmad Mansur said the situation in the town was dire. "Tension and anxiety are prevailing among the farmers," he said, estimating losses in the millions of shekels. "At least 40% of the town's economy is in chickens," he added.

Mansur urged government officials to help compensate farmers before the town was left destitute.

Municipal official Sa’eed Hanun said doctors were monitoring local clinics carefully, and distributing information on symptoms of bird flu in humans to farming families. He said treatments would be available immediately if a human case is found.

As for the farms, he said, they will be sterilized, "and the birds will be buried in a healthy and safe way."

When a farmer noticed symptoms in several chicks, he called in officials to test the birds. "The chicks were only 8 days old when we learned that they were in fact positive for the virus," Hanun said.

From that point on, "We were obliged to declare a state of emergency in Bal'a, imposing a health quarantine on all of the area and taking preventive procedures so we don't see the spread of the virus to other areas," he explained.