Durham's power plants ready for pandemic

OPG plans for absenteeism of up to 40 per cent

Mar 23, 2009 - 10:16 AM

By Reka Szekely

DURHAM -- Pandemic plans are in place at Durham's nuclear plants to keep the electricity flowing in the event of an outbreak of infectious disease such as a deadly flu.

In the wake of the SARS outbreak in 2003, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) went through a lengthy process to prepare a plan for a pandemic both at the corporate level and at its business units, including Pickering and Darlington nuclear plants.

"(SARS) was a real eye opener not just for the electricity industry and OPG, but many folks around the province," said Jim Coles, manager of emergency preparedness, speaking to the Pickering nuclear plant's community advisory council. "There were a lot of lessons learned around that event."

After more than two years of work, OPG was declared pandemic-ready in 2007 and will continue to review its plan on a regular basis. Among the long list of areas considered are communications, security, health surveillance and the management of antivirals and vaccines. OPG now has enough antiviral medication on hand for all staff.

The company looked at what would happen if there was 20-, 30- and 40-per cent absenteeism as a result of an outbreak. Even at the high risk rate of 40 per cent, the plants could continue to produce electricity, OPG says.

However, it would depend how the illness was distributed within the company. If, for example, 50 per cent of the nuclear operators were unable to work, it would force a shutdown.

OPG considered what routine activities could be delayed when the risk was lower and putting training staff back on the front lines. Another option is moving staff between the Pickering and Darlington plants if they were qualified to work at both. The Darlington plant has a greater electricity output and would be a bigger priority.

The biggest risk, said Mr. Coles, is the supply chain from the outside. OPG has identified its dependencies on critical suppliers and has been working with them to create pandemic plans or review existing ones. In 2006, only a small fraction had a plan but that rate has been rising.

"We can also say it's a condition of you doing business with us that you have a pandemic plan in place," Mr. Coles said.

A member of the council asked how certain Mr. Coles was that there would be a need for the plans in the next 10 or 20 years.

"I would suggest to you, in my opinion, it's a certainty," responded Mr. Coles, adding that pandemics crop up about three times every 100 years. "As I recall, 1968 was the last one we had."

U.S. program ups bioterror readiness

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 25 (UPI) -- A federal program designed to help U.S. metropolitan public health agencies prepare for bioterror or pandemic improves readiness, researchers said.

A Rand Corp. study found that the federal Cities Readiness Initiative -- a program active in 72 metropolitan areas -- appears to have improved agencies' ability to rapidly and widely dispense life-saving medications and other medical supplies in the event of a large-scale bioterror attack or a naturally occurring infectious disease outbreak.

The study said there is merit in extending the program to other cities so the impact can be further monitored, although the analysis did not assess the cost-effectiveness of the effort or compare it to other public health priorities.

"The Cities Readiness Initiative has helped agencies in the nation's most-populous regions become better able to dispense life-saving medication following a bioterrorism event or after an infectious disease outbreak," lead author Henry Willis, a policy researcher at the Rand Corp., a nonprofit research organization based in Santa Monica, Calif., said in a statement.

The researchers said the initiative has helped increase the number of local public health staff members working on medication dispensing planning, strengthened partnerships between public health officials and local first-responder agencies and helped pay for new equipment such as mobile drug dispensing units.

BAFRA steps up for bird flu

28 March 2009

Following the continuing and widespread outbreak of bird flu across the border in the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal, Bhutanese authorities have stepped up their effort to curtail its spread into Bhutan by setting up improved disinfecting facilities along the border towns.

The border town of Phuentsholing was the latest to possess one at its main gate where over 800 vehicles ply each day, to and from the Indian border towns. Such improved disinfectant facilities have already been put to use in the border towns of Samtse, Gomtu, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar.

According to officials at Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA), the improved facility was more effective in disinfecting vehicles and other risks compared to the existing power sprayer machines.

“The disinfectants will be sprayed from every angle on the vehicles. The steel frames are not permanent. And disinfectants from all the directions will not be used always. It will be used only during critical times, such as an outbreak across the border.” said a BAFRA official.

Dr Sithar Dorji of BAFRA said that the frames of the vehicle disinfection system could be dismantled when the disease outbreak subsided and the risk of the entry of the virus was minimal. In case of an emergency, it could also be assembled within an hour.

He said the construction was completed in critical time when there are widespread epidemic outbreaks of bird flu continuing in the neighbouring district of Assam and West Bengal, very close to Bhutan borders.

The facility in Phuentsholing was also expected to minimise the traffic congestion and inconvenience caused to the travellers at the main gate.

The cabinet approved the construction of the vehicle disinfection facilities at all the main border entry points during the 15th session of Lhengye Zhungtshog held on August 26, 2008.

Although import of poultry products are banned in Bhutan, it is observed that chicken is sold openly just a few metres away from the boundary walls on the Indian side of the border. Many Bhutanese live in rented houses in Jaigoan, West Bengal, India, due to shortage of houses in Phuetnsholing.

The Agriculture Minister Pema Gyamtsho inaugurated the vehicle disinfection facilities in Phuentsholing on Tuesday, March 24.

Map of Béhéra [Al Buhayrah] (governorate), Egypt

Click on map

The girl died of bird flu and the detention of four suspected injury in the Fayoum and Damanhour

And the discovery of two things meeting Sunday attended by two of the disease

The girl died «بسملة Mohamed Rabia» 45 days of the city of Fayoum Alhawwatm after being infected with bird flu, and the girl had been detained for a day Fayoum General Hospital, where he was transferred to a hospital after Fayyoum fevers suspected bird flu, and fever to transfer the management of the hospital directly from the reception Tamiflu drug to the hospital, where she died hours later the girl Fimazalt of the samples being tested to make sure that the cause of death is bird flu or other disease.

The hospital admitted Fayyoum detained on suspicion of two women got sick, where they were detained «Soha Sayed Ismail» 18 years of the dipper and the city of Fayoum «dignified Ramadan Secretary» 35 years of Oboxa Center Ibcoai, two samples were taken for analysis, where the initial analysis was negative, With a hospital official source confirmed that the cases are still detained pending the receipt of the final analysis of samples from the Ministry of Health.

In Damanhour hospital diets detained on suspicion of two infected by bird flu, and two: «Amal Mohamed Ezzat» 20 housewife year resident of the village Alhouc Center and the girl child Damanhour «Nada Ali Zein» 5-month resident of the village of Cain to the same place,

after the emergence of their symptoms are similar to the disease, fever and inflammation of the throat and narrow bone pain, respiratory, blood samples were taken from the injured and sent to central laboratories for testing.

Whereas factor analysis conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture on samples of the two things the discovery of new bird flu virus bird Btnta Berma meeting Sunday attended by the village.

And Dr. Ahmed Saeed - Director of the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine meeting Sunday attended - that the initial focus has been discovered within the market wisdom Btnta during the passage of a committee formed to immunize birds in markets and homes, where suspected members of the Committee in the chicken before the sale was to take samples for analysis, a factor of the Ministry of Agriculture, at a time which was to take the necessary precautionary measures has been confirmed by a positive test sample was the formation of a committee of health and veterinary medicine, the environment and the city council security, security Kerdoun been imposed on the market and the relevant bodies to clear the place and the execution of all the birds under the supervision of Dr. Sharif Hammouda - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health meeting Sunday attended by -- to ensure that no transmission of the virus to humans.

In the same context, the discovery of the focus of analysis within the market of the village after Berma suspicion in some birds for sale, with the imposition of Kerdoun security on the market and cleared by the health officials, veterinary medicine and the environment has been the liberalization of the record of this.

Egypt first in the world of bird flu in 2009

28/03/09

Egypt topped the list of countries most affected by avian flu in 2009, after a Ministry of Health 9 injuries since the beginning of this year, compared with 8 cases over the last year, the Ministry announced on Monday, injuring a girl from Qena, bringing the total casualties in Egypt since the beginning of the epidemic to 60 cases.

Dr. Abdel Rahman Shahin, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said that despite the high number of casualties, Egypt is the least in the proportion of deaths, saying that among the casualties of the 23 cases there have been 60 deaths and only recognized that the virus is endemic in Egypt, and he left them and elimination of a many years, perhaps decades, and that if it mutates into a more severe type of «is strongly», explaining that it was now no way out of the crisis, however, the transformation of society to the frozen birds.

In Qena, the Department of health is a state of emergency in the hospital after the fever in the central laboratories of the Ministry of Health wounded girl «Israa Saad Shafi», which developed the symptoms of the disease last Monday and was taken to the hospital.

In Alexandria, executed the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine million birds, because of the lack of certificates to prove they are free of the disease have been seized in raids on intensive farms, bird shops in the east and west of the city.

In Fayoum, Dr. Hussein Sophie Abutaleb, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Health, the death of the girl child بسملة Mohammed «45 days» Tamiflu drug in a hospital after being transferred from the hospital yesterday evening fevers Fayyoum I, on suspicion of being infected with the disease, explaining that he had been sampled and sent to central laboratories, but they died before the results of the analysis, pointing out that the samples were withdrawn from her family as a precaution.
hat-tip Helblindi

Czech Republic-BSE (Mad Cow ) disease confirmed

28/03/2009 01:52:59

Czech state veterinarians said on Friday they had found a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a six-year-old cow on a farm near the northern border with Poland.
Also known as mad cow disease, BSE first emerged in Britain in the 1980s and has been found in herds in several European and other countries.

Scientists believe it is transmitted through infected meat and bone meal fed to cattle and may cause deadly vCJD in humans.

Here are some key facts:

ORIGINS:

* First surfaced in Britain in 1985 when a black-and-white dairy cow was seen staggering and head-butting other cattle. It was diagnosed as BSE in November 1986.

* Known formally as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the disease swept through Britain in the 1980s and early 1990s, causing millions of animals to be slaughtered and burnt.

* Scientists blamed waste produced in slaughterhouses and used to make animal feed for its spread. Cattle feed usually contained wastes obtained from the slaughter of other cows.



THE COST:

* Britain destroyed 3.7 million cattle in the 1980s and 1990s because of BSE. Between 1986 and 2002, 181,376 cases were confirmed in Britain.

During that time Britain spent more than $6 billion, excluding job losses, in sorting out the crisis.

* By 1988 Britain realised BSE was a serious problem. EU authorities banned high-risk materials such as spinal cord from use in feed and tighter labelling was also introduced.

* British beef exports were banned worldwide.

* The ban on British beef exports was partially lifted in 1999. In March 2006, EU experts agreed to a complete lifting of the embargo, nearly 10 years to the day after it was imposed.

* In 2007, BSE surveillance has identified 15 cases in North America, three BSE cases in the United States and 12 in Canada.

* Canada confirmed its 15th case of mad cow disease since 2003 in November 2008.



CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE:

* vCJD is strongly linked with exposure to BSE. BSE can pass to people who eat infected beef products causing the related condition called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or vCJD.

* vCJD is a rare and fatal human neurodegenerative condition. As with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, vCJD is classified as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) because of characteristic spongy degeneration of the brain and its ability to be transmitted. vCJD is a new disease that was first described in March 1996. To date it has killed more than 160 people in Britain.

Lawmakers ask for delay of new mad cow rule

thanks alot..

Associated Press - March 26, 2009 5:05 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of Congress are asking the federal government to delay new rules intended to keep mad cow disease out of the food supply.

Led by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., and joined by Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the lawmakers say the new rules create problems for getting rid of cattle carcasses. The new rule is supposed to take effect April 27.

The rule prohibits the use of the brains and spinal cords of older cattle as ingredients in livestock feed and pet food. Livestock and agricultural groups have complained this will make getting rid of cattle carcasses more costly and put rendering plants out of business.

Mad cow is a brain disease linked to more than 150 human deaths worldwide. The U.S. has had no known human cases of mad cow linked to U.S. beef.

West Africa: Nigeria, Niger Hardest Hit By 2009 Meningitis Epidemic

West Africa: Nigeria, Niger Hardest Hit By 2009 Meningitis Epidemic - UN Health Agency

27 March 2009

• A vast majority of the nearly 25,000 suspected meningitis cases and more than 15,000 deaths worldwide in the first three months of 2009 have occurred in the so-called "African meningitis belt," hitting Nigeria and Niger the hardest, the United Nations health agency has reported.

• 
  
  

  The bulk of the cases in the meningitis belt, stretching from Senegal to Somalia, has been in northern Nigeria, reporting 17,462 suspected cases and 960 deaths, and Niger, with 4,513 suspected cases and 169 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

  Vaccination campaigns are underway in the two countries, with the support of WHO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the non-governmental organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

  WHO, which is supporting the Nigerian Health Ministry's efforts to boost disease surveillance, has had technical experts on the ground since last month.

  Along with its partners, WHO has released 2.3 million doses of vaccines to Nigeria and 1.9 million to Niger. Nearly 13 million doses were stockpiled for 2009, but more are needed for this meningitis season which will run from January through June.

City veterinarians warn of killer virus from goats

Saturday, March 28, 2009

GENERAL SANTOS CITY: City officials expressed apprehension over the spread of a virus in locally bred goats that could possibly infect local residents. The City Veterinary Office has directed port authorities to quarantine all imported goats for blood testing following information that the virus came from imported goats from the United States. In a regular city council meeting Thursday, Councilor Minardo Avila said animals that were exposed to goats that died due to encephalitis should undergo blood testing and those that are found infected must immediately be burned, he said. Experts said capri encephalitis is a viral infection among goats, which can cause encephalitis in its kids and chronic joint disease among adults. City Veterinarian Dr. Antonio Marin said an extensive information campaign has been conducted in villages adjacent to goat farms that were found infected. “We found that one huge goat farm in the locality was already infected and this should alarm our local goat raisers,” Marin told reporters. The most direct infection route is from mother to kid through infected colostrum, body fluids, and milk. Marin also sternly advised the public not to eat any animal suspected of having the disease, as he directed veterinarian personnel posted at the Makar Port to check all incoming imported goats. Martin clarified that only big goat farms have been reported with infected goats and not small backyard breeders.

Hand, foot, mouth virus kills 18

Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily 2009-3-28

HAND, foot and mouth disease has killed 18 children and sickened 41,000 people across the country so far this year, China's health ministry said yesterday.

The outbreak appears more widespread than in recent years, based on previously released data, with around twice the number of people infected compared with the same period last year.

The disease typically strikes infants and children, and while occasionally deadly, most of the cases are mild, with children recovering quickly after suffering little more than a fever and rash.

Li Xinwang, a doctor at Beijing's Ditan Hospital, said the peak season for the spread of the virus is usually May through July but that this year's early spike in cases indicates the toll will likely be higher than average.

He attributed the large number of cases early in the year to "dramatic temperature fluctuations" that helped spread the virus.

Vivian Tam, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization in China, said the apparent jump in cases could be partly due to higher awareness. "One reason the numbers have increased this year is not necessarily because there are more cases, but rather, there is more reporting of cases than before," Tam said.

Health ministry spokesman Deng Haihua did not give comparable figures for other years at yesterday's press conference, making it difficult to accurately compare against previous outbreaks.

The health ministry has said China had about 80,000 hand, foot and mouth cases and 17 deaths in 2007.

Last year the virus sickened 27,000 people in total and killed dozens in the first few months of 2008 before reports of outbreaks subsided in May, according to news reports.

Deng told reporters that 94 percent of all the patients this year were under five years old.

He said officials were stepping up prevention and awareness efforts to deal with the outbreak but that the virus would likely continue to spread.

Henan and Shandong have been the worst-hit provinces so far this year, recording one-fifth of all the nation's cases, Deng said.

Two Suspect Bird Flu Patients stated Negative

[These are the two siblings out of Garut, West Java]
Antara - Sabtu, Maret 28

Garut (Antara) - Two patients suspect bird flu (Avian Influenza/AI) in the Garut Regency, that beforehand was treated intensive to RSU isolation space Dr Slamet since last Monday (23/3) currently were stated by the negative from this illness.

The RSU head local Dr Widjayanti Utoyo, SPM to Antara in his office on Saturday said results of the laboratory research and the development of the health (Litbangkes) the Department of Health menunjukan the two older brother-sibling the sufferer suspect this bird flu berkondisi serelogis (-), as well as wiped off the nose/the throat (-).

Moreover the inspection "real time Gel base" also (-), so as both of them consisted NY. Aning (30) and Eka (35) was stated berkondisi H5N1 the negative (-), he said.

Both of them, the resident of the Pabrik Lebak Cintamaya Kecamatan Cigedug Village, at once was accompanied came home after results of bird flu of the negative were received from this Litbangkes laboratory.

Section Head Kesehatan local Dr Hendy Budiman, MKes when being contacted stressed the problem root of this case was located in the problem of the livestock, so as his side was establishing the co-ordination Officially Peternakan Garut.

In the location of the settlement of the two sufferers suspek this bird flu, uptil now was received by at least 50 chickens that died suddenly, and up to now the livestock breeding side also carried out various control efforts, he said.
hat-tip Dutchy

Indo: Negative expressed Bird Flu (R(2), Ngawi)

google translation
Jum \ 'at, 27-03-2009 13:51:04
Only five original Sidokerto experiencing symptoms bronchitis
Ngawi-Still Remember the Riyanto Earlier? Bocah aged 2 years, village residents expressed Sidokerto Karangjati not infected virus flu burung.Uji laboratory examining the blood sample that was five negative results.''Negative result, has not infected the virus bird flu,''said Siska, a nurse who has to handle.
Disclosed, flu and fever that accompany the sick child and Parmi Slamet pair is a symptom of illness is bronkitis.Kesimpulan than lab results also supported the results of the X-ray images in RSU Kabupaten Ngawi of Mentioned.''The X-ray shows the condition of the body has bagus.Trombositnya also good,''said Siska.
Because bird flu is declared negative and the condition has gradually improved, the kid is allowed to go home rumahnya.Menurut the hospital, the condition has not already experienced the last flu demam.Sakit and pileknya also have hilang.Bahkan he'd like to eat and beraktivitas as usual.
However, more Siska, symptoms of cough that has not lost them, although the frequency has been reduced. Therefore, it has now undergo outpatient to recover and heal disease dideritanya.Bocah bronchitis which is also required to consume drugs of the team doctors that the disease soon.
He also must undergo check-up and control routine for monitoring the control kondisinya.Untuk do not need to come to the RSU Kabupaten Ngawi, but enough in the local health clinic.''Condition of not worrying, but need to control and routine enough in the health Karangjati can handle, ' 'said Siska. (dra / isd)
(Mbak sri)

System veterinary facilities in Bac Giang

Updated at: 8:00 AM, 28/03/2009

Why paralyzed?


Vaccinated for influenza

(VOV) - The veterinary stations no longer understand the reports from staff veterinary facilities of the new outbreaks, prevention of avian influenza.
This fact is reported by Bac Giang provinces is close to many provinces, including Quang Ninh are Bùng of HPAI. So what was the cause of this situation?

Yen The district is considered one of the local that the animal works so well. However, by looking to the staff veterinary facilities found that they seem completely wear. Mr. Ngo Van Long, veterinary staff base Dong Tam commune, Yen The district unrest: "Since its sector veterinary management we have to sticky nề many years, now we move into the extension management is not appropriate expertise. Nguyen Van Luc, staff veterinary facilities An Thuong commune, Yen The district also said: "Although only heard about the decision 13 of the province, but I see the industry is not appropriate, not to deploy the veterinary staff of the base station extension, so have new job is good. "

The yen is considered one of the local risk Bùng of HPAI is very high in the province, Bac Giang. Indeed, in 2 years 2003 and 2004, HPAI has Bùng play here. Districts in many common road, adjacent to the province such as Phu Binh, Vo Nhai of Thai Nguyen, Huu Lung of Lang Son. Therefore, prevention of avian influenza are local attention. However, according to Pham Van Cong, head veterinary stations Yen The district: Start from 17 / 3, almost the entire network of animal facilities of his works so Slight choac because they heard the information of interest Health facilities will be transferred to departments responsible for agricultural extension.

According to Van, from before to now, all information, notices, and implementing prevention in communes and villages are on the transfer station very quickly. Based on staff veterinary facilities, veterinary stations Yen up of preventive, urgently implement measures if the situation is worse happens. However, to date this work will likely be interrupted. "The Yen-risk avian influenza infection are very high. Now we do not have veterinary officers of the department work more on prevention now will be extremely difficult, not to monitor the disease, unable to perform duties directly as it was before. Decision 13 of the PPC is not true ... "- Pham Van Cong, Station Chief veterinary stations Yen The district said.

Currently, prevention of HPAI in Bac Giang put on top. On 19 / 3, almost all veterinary stations in the province held a meeting with the staff of veterinary facilities, implementation of prevention and to make each household, each locality. However, certainly with all the other days of the meeting of veterinary stations that day out doubt, break out. Luc Ngan district, the report of Mr. Ngo Van, Station chief district veterinary stations are not able to invite officers veterinary facilities are needed. Luc Nam district, veterinary staff to new stations, the "security", only about 1 / 2 per number of veterinary facilities to meet ...

Indeed, the disease prevention requires a linked very closely by staff veterinary facilities, so that this team is not subject to management by the district veterinary stations again, they will not report events Disease is probably up stations of course. So why in Bac Giang to happen this situation?

Known, on 6/3/2009, Bac Giang People's Committee Decision 13 issued on the stipulated quantity, standard, mode, and policy management for the veterinary staff basis. Accordingly, from the date 16/3/2009, veterinary officers will not base their management and administration of the district veterinary stations but for the station extension. The main transition that has brought the wild, even react drastically by the station and district veterinary staff veterinary facilities. Even with the districts as Yen The statement will still manage the old way because if not, will not satisfy preventive.

Before the reaction drastically when Decision 13 issued. Pm on 19/3/2009, through discussions with us, Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Chairman of Bac Giang People's Committee, said: "This is a mistake by not thoroughly research the counsel of the Department of Home Affairs Bac Giang, the provincial People's Committee will change this decision and will be issued in the fastest time to ensure against the disease is very hot.

Officials seize illegal chicken limbs in Vientiane

(KPL) Inspection officials, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce seized 86 kilogrammes of chicken limbs in Saysettha district of Vientiane Capital, which imported illegally from Thailand.
Mr Khamsao Sengvongpheth, team leader of Saysettha district Inspection office disclosed that relevant officials could seize the duck and chicken limbs, which weighted 86 kilogrammes at Thaluang market, Saysettha district on 25 March 2009, after Vientiane retailers imported them illegally from Thailand. A total number of illegal foods worth over 1 million kip however officials could not arrest a group of smugglers because of they escaped.
He said that having a group of smugglers have attempted their efforts to import the illegal foods and items by crossing the Mekong River to Laos, but some time officials could not arrest and see clearly evident because of Lao officials do not have modern technology for monitoring and inspecting.
The majority of illegal foods and items were found as fish, pig, duck, chicken limbs, electronic items, household items, those have been brought from Thailand through the Mekong River.

Dịch tả appear on pigs

(Dân trí) - less than a year of blue ear disease rife in the district on Chau, Yen Thanh ... this is, people Yen Thanh district (Nghe An) are face to appear on tả pigs and risk spread on a large scale is unavoidable ..

Its Health Nghe An afternoon on 26 / 3 for description and appear on 19 / 3 on the pigs their families Pham Van Duan, in hamlet 3, Thanh Hoa commune (Yen Thanh district, Nghe An) with 4 infected pigs and described. From here, the disease has spread to the neighboring family ... and quickly spread.

According to a report from the Veterinary Department of Nghe An, to the 26 / 3, the Thanh Hoa commune has about 100 pigs have died and described. Meanwhile, authorities have also destroyed the large number of infected above the instructions of officials Animal y.

. In addition, veterinary stations Yen Thanh district in collaboration with veterinary Thanh Hoa commune has vaccinated tả nose and 2 for nearly 500 pigs in the province in full.

The Nghe An People's Committee request Its Health region III in cooperation with Animal Health Department of Nghe An, agencies Yen Thanh district dập fold area and established the core quarantine, and prohibit move pigs from the disease area and vice versa, that is "outstanding emigrate to enter," prohibits not slaughter pigs ....

Also, conduct vaccination and for all on the number of pigs in the province and some in nearby such as Van Thanh, Hop Thanh, Thanh Phu, ... authorities also requested people not to eat more canh pigs, because of risk of disease is very large.

Nguyễn Duy

UNDIAGNOSED MASS DIE-OFF, GEESE - UKRAINE: (KHARKOV) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

27-MAR-2009
Subject	PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed mass die-off, geese - Ukraine: (KK) RFI

[1]
Date: 25 Mar 2009
Source: IA Mignews.ua [in Russian, trans. & abbrev. Mod.NP/JW, edited]
<http://mignews.com.ua/categ384/articles/345569.html>

On 22 Mar 2009 more than 900 wild geese were found dead at the
Krasnopavlovsky reservoir in the Kharkov region of Ukraine. The State
Scientific Research Institute for laboratory diagnosis and
veterinary-sanitary examination has not found any avian influenza
virus in them. No cases of death among poultry in the territories
which border the Krasnopavlovsky reservoir have been reported. Tests
of water samples from the reservoir are within normal limits.

According to the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, the most
probable cause of death of birds was the poisoning of corn that
remained on the fields after harvest.

*******
[2]
Date: 25 Mar 2009
Source: IA Proua.com [in Russian, trans. & abbrev. Mod.NP/JW, edited]
<http://proua.com/news/2009/03/25/152431.html>


According to Tatyana Atemasova, senior professor of the Department of
zoology and animal ecology in the Karazin Kharkov national
university, the geese died from eating grain from neighboring fields,
because undigested grain was found in their stomachs. The dead were
Northern geese, which nest in the tundra and fly there from Europe.
But the representative of the Kharkov administration believes that
the mass die-off is the result of poacher activity.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-RUS
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Final results of testing samples in the toxicological laboratory are
not known yet (25 Mar 2009) according to
<http://www.segodnya.ua/news/14041246.html>. Newcastle disease has
not been found in the dead birds. - Mod.NP.

It is not clear why poachers would kill 900 birds and then leave them
to rot. The species involved is not clear either, from the sad photo
at the source URL they appear to be all-white, with very long necks
and black beaks, perhaps common mute swans? But the Russian text
clearly says geese, not swans. Was the test for avian botulism done?
More details would be welcome. - Mod.JW] 
 

Difficulty the "storm" illegal import chickens

Saturday, 28/3/2009, 6:10 (GMT +7)

Recently, "storm" on the illegal import chicken line border of Lang Son Bùng strong again, despite the efforts of the anti-smuggling in the province, on average each day a few tons of chickens is not illegal to enter clearly from all ngách, all ngả not through the border from about. That is not including the number of eggs and chicken breeding, animal products including poultry viscera, heart, meat animals ...be transported through a pathway such as: Drag Explore, Bai Contacts (town of Dong Dang), Chi Ma (Loc Binh) ...

Destroys poultry benh.Anh: CTV

Lợi dụng địa bàn Abusing scar area, there are many trail, shortcuts and profit earned is large, nearly twice the interest, if only to treat the issue of the employers often hire people and borders people in other places to transport illegal import of poultry regardless of the day, causing difficulties for the anti-smuggling and the illegal import of poultry.

Hai thôn Khuổi Two villages Khuoi Ten and Lung Tam has more than 135 households, mainly as agricultural, the people mainly go Ganh chicken rent for illegal employers, in addition to that, but many people also go elsewhere Ganh hire illegal chickens the government controls difficult. Although households have committed not to assist the employers but also because life more difficult should they still go lén. Therefore, in the coming time, status or illegal import of goods, cattle and poultry in Lang Son province will place complex. Objects continue to take advantage of the households in the management, and tax policies in many of approaches to the illegal import of goods into domestic consumption. This will be a big challenge, so, at all levels and sectors of Lang Son province need to have measures of struggle, to prevent illegal import of goods and especially of cattle and poultry on the border line.

While both countries are concerned to cope with HPAI, all the chicken is disease, the route on the border Lang Son, daily large number of chickens imported through illegal ways worn border, not through quarantine the domestic risk is the threat and destroy the efforts in the fight against avian influenza outbreaks in recent years.

Suspect Flu Burung Treated

27 Maret 2009

The bird flu illness (avian influenza) evidently still continued to lurk. Moreover in the season pancaroba as is now the case. Moreover one of the patients suspect bird flu, Wasan (33), villagers Mangunjaya Blok Karangjaya Kecamatan Anjatan, at this time were treated in RSUD Indramayu because of experiencing the sign was similar suspect bird flu.

Information that was received the Radar, this patient was carried the family to the Intensive Care Unit (UGD) RSUD Indramayu, because of experiencing the clinical sign like hot high and breathless. He was at once given by first help by the medical team. The doctor was on duty at UGD RSUD Indramayu, Dr Djohari explained, from clinical signs that were experienced by the patient, indeed had the possibility terjangkit the virus avian influenza. “Meski also was like this, the medical team was still carrying out observation against the patient suspect bird flu that currently still is undergoing the maintenance in space isolasi,” he explained, on Thursday (26/3).

Apart from carrying out the medical action, the team of the doctor also took the sample of the patient's blood. The condition for the patient suspect bird flu, still was seen experienced the high and breathless fever when undergoing the maintenance in isolation space.

Raman (60), parents of the patient suspect bird flu explained, before Wasan experienced the hot sign high and breathless, dozens of poultries behind his house died suddenly. Raman also did not know definitely the cause of the death of the poultry. However setahu he, after the poultry died suddenly, two days afterwards Wasan experienced hot high. Casualties's family did not suspect if hot high that was suffered by this Wasan, was the sign of the bird flu illness. Hot high that never will improve, made Wasan be run off with to the Rumah Sakit MA Sentot Patrol. However, after undergoing the maintenance for one day, Wasan by the team of the doctor RS Ma Sentot was reconciled to RSUD Kabupaten Indramayu.

His article, apart from having the clinical sign suspect bird flu, the story of contact with the poultry that died suddenly then to one of the consideration to reconcile the patient to RSUD Kab Indramayu.
-snip-

NGO organises workshop for workers, others

FRIDAY MARCH 26 2009
By IBRAHIM A. MUHD.
AN International Organisation for Migration has organized social mobilization for migrant poultry workers, traders and transporters on Avian and Human Influenza, Bird Flu, in Kano state.

The mobilizing which started on Tuesday at `Yankaba motor park in Nassarawa local government area for three days, target markets and motor parks in the state and nine local government councils and will be rounded up in Kunchi council area.

In a press release signed by project desk officer, communication, Kano state, Alhaji Surajo Ibrahim Gaya, Nigeria is one of the countries that recorded outbreaks of Avia Influenza, Birds Flu, resulting in loss of human life and millions of poultry.
In order to contain future outbreak and its association devastating consequences, the federal government in collaboration with the World Bank had established Avian Influenza Control Project with offices at national, state and local government levels, each operating three components human health, animal health and communication of the project.
-snip-
Other local government areas scheduled for the social mobilization include Tarauni, Takai, Dala, Bichi, Rimin Gado, Kano municipal, Kumbotso and Kunchi.

Nigeria: Borno - NGO Begins Campaign Against Spread of Bird Flu

26 March 2009
Maiduguri — A leading Inter- Governmental Organisation in Migration (IOM) has embarked on massive mobilisation campaign in some selected poultry producing Local Government Areas of Borno state, as part of moves to check spread of Avian influenza popularly called bird flu.

The Advocacy programme which kick- started in Gajigana Poultry market Magumeri council Tuesday, called on poultry farmers to avoid selling sick birds to innocent customers, sleeping in the same room with their birds, and reduce the rate of migration of poultry workers, traders and transporters which had very little knowledge about prevention, control and pandemic preparedness of the flu which is fatal to humans.

Programme Assistant of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Mr. James Atusue spoke when addressing members of poultry farmers/ sellers Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) among others at the Gajigana Market square.
-snip-

The District Head thanked the organisers of the programme and to mobilise subjects and people from his domain, as the issue of tackling poultry migration, bird flu cannot be the sole responsibility of an NGO's, but a collective responsibility.

Nigeria: Mass Campaign Against Bird Flu Kicks Off in Kano

27 March 2009

Mass awareness campaign against Avian Influenza has kicked off in Kano, with a view to forestalling future recurrence of the outbreak.

The campaign, which was scheduled to take place in nine local governments of the state, was also aimed at conducting social mobilisation activities for migrant poultry workers, traders, transporters, among others.

The Kano Project Desk Officer of Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness Project (AICP), Surajo Ibrahim Gaya, revealed that the sensitisation campaign will also focus on emergency response, intensification of disease surveillance, advocacy and behavioural change.

Gaya said in order to contain the influenza, the Federal Government, in collaboration with World Bank, established Avian Influenza control project with offices at national, states and local governments.

Also speaking, the Programme Assistant of International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Mr James Atusue said the reason why the campaign takes place in Kano was because there were cases of bird flu in Kano.

He said the campaign has already been flagged off in Anambra, Lagos and Borno State . "These are some of the states that recorded cases of avian influenza, that is why we focus our campaigns in these states," he said.

According to him, the campaign would also involve behavioural change, which entails inculcating the culture of washing hands in the poultry traders, transporters, among others.

Mr Atusue further added that there is relationship between human and avian influenza, noting that when care is not taken, the avian influenza may lead to human influenza.

Bird flu claimed 27 residents

Jumat 27 Maret 2009, Jam: 19:09:00

Vice-Governor HM Masduki said, the case of bird flu to humankind in Banten claimed fatalities totalling 27 period insiders five last years. While the number of cases that succeeded in being known had 30 cases for this period.

So, the Banten Provincial Government considered the spreading of bird flu has in Banten headed to the pandemic so as to have to have efforts extra in dealing with him. Masduki sent the condition in the Nasional Simulasi Tanggap Workshop agenda of the Influenza Pandemic for two days in Cilegon. Masduki said, efforts that have been carried out the Banten Provincial Government, among them the publication of SK Governor about the Formation of the Daerah Commission of the Control of Bird Flu and Menghadapi Pandemi Influenza Preparedness in the Banten province.

The workshop was fully financed by Unicef this was held the Nasional Flu Burung Commission and the Indonesian Pandemic and Canada. Delegation of Unicef West Java – Banten, Steve Aswir said, the aim of the workshop discussed the urgent problem about bird flu.

Suspect Flu Burung Died

This article repeats the findings posted here:

http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/from-previous-post-rev.html

Excerpt:
Jumat, 27 Maret 2009
The co-ordinator the Control of RSUD Arifin Achmad Bird Flu, Dr Azizman Saad SpP, in Pekanbaru, said that Wahyu died after experienced breathless and could lose the awareness. According to Azizman, casualties could not be rescued again although approximately six doctors tried optimal to help him. Wahyu's death time was based on the registration of the hospital side was on Thursday at dawn around struck 02,00 WIB.

Azizman explained, on Wednesday (25/3) conditions for casualties was still relative was good with the temperature of the body 36 levels celcius and the attraction of the breath 40 times per the minute. "However, on Wednesday night the condition" for "his health descended drastic and finally died," he said. The revelation underwent the intensive maintenance in isolation space since last Friday (20/3). The revelation could be also treated in RS Ibnu Sina, Pekanbaru, during six days before finally was reconciled to RSUD Arifin Achmad after being diagnosed as suspect bird flu. Nevertheless, the RSUD side still could not confirm Wahyu's cause died as a result of being infected by the virus H5N1 the cause of bird flu. The RSUD side must be still waiting for results of the sample inspection to wipe off nose mucus and the throat from the Department's laboratory of the Republic of Indonesia Health that up to now does not yet arrive. "We could not comment before accepting results" of the "lab inspection of the sample" of "casualties," said Azizman.
-snip-

Livestock Poultry Believed A Factor AI

[In the last sentence, suami = husband. So I believe that Aning is the sister. Ikah is the brother. And Majid is the brother-in-law to Ikah, possibly married to a third sibbling...otherwise he is married to Aning, and the articles would refer to him as Aning's huband]

Thursday, 26 March 2009
[QDT]

Total amount medical patient flu burung in Regency Garut classified high compared with Regency other in Jabar. One of propagating guessed come from starting at issue livestock.

Chief Government Health Garut dr Hendy Budiman MKes in report to Bupati Garut say up to 23 March 2009, there are cases flu burung amounting to 46 units of and before long this receive additional two cases suspect new. From total those, 1 sufferer positive secure and still live, 4 sufferer positive died world, 36 sufferer anticipated (suspect) live and 5 sufferer suspect died world.

Meanwhile, two suspect flu buring sufferer new, resident Desa Cintanagara, Kecamatan Cigedug, up to now still in treating at room isolation although condition improved," he/she said
yesterday. Second sufferer new aforementioned respectively Aning, 30, resident Kampung Tabrik, Lebak Cintamaya; and Ikah, 35, older brother/sister womb Aning that have an address equal.

[Toggletext]:
He explained, the problem root of the case of bird flu was located in the problem of the livestock. Therefore, his side was establishing the co-ordination Officially Peternakan Garut. In the location of the settlement of the two sufferers suspect this new bird flu, uptil now was received by at least 50 chicken livestock that experienced died suddenly. On March 25 2009 around struck 13,00 WIB, was gotten nine samples of blood of the chicken livestock were checked in BPPHK Cikole, Lembang, Bandung. Results, eight positive ND samples and one positive sample of AI. Similar the step in the prevention, also was carried out by giving of disinfectant against all the pen in the Cintanagara Village.

In the meantime, contact a house of the case sufferer suspect bird flu, Aning, that consisted of the husband and his four uterus children, a person including complaining the cough and pilek.

From previous post:

Rev. father uterus, Hartono found at Riau Pos, Thursday (26 / 3) afternoon, said, before referred to hospitals, suffering from fever Revelation was for three days. Because kunjung not recover and was Ibn Sina Hospital. Here, in Revelation treated for six days. Hot body but not kunjung down.

Finally, Revelation diindikasi susfect bird flu. Finally, Saturday (21 / 3), the victims were referred to hospitals Pekanbaru. After several days in the care, conditions began to improve Revelation. Hot body starts to decrease and also decreased sesaknya.

QDT & Dictionary:
Father womb Wahyu Hartono when met Riau Pos, Thursday (26/3) midday, said, before reconciled to RSUD, Wahyu to have an opportunity suffer fever as long as three days. Because not quick recover later was run off to RS Ibnu Sina.
In there Wahyu to take care of as long as six day but fever his not quick decline. Last Wahyu indicated suspect flu burung. Finally Saturday 21/3 past, casualty reconciled to RSUD Pekanbaru.

Five suspect Bird Flu Finally Died

Friday, 27 March 2009, 06:34:00
Azizman: Reviewed The Good evening
Five suspect Bird Flu Finally Died

DIMAKAMKAN: Wahyu Saputra (3) finally died and dimakamkan by his family, on Thursday (26/3/2009). (Mirshal / Jakarta Post)
MUSLIM reports and Nurdin M HAPIZ, Pekanbaru

House residence late Rev. Ibn Saputra (3) in Jalan Kuantan VII, RT 07/RW 04, Kelurahan Tanjung Rhu, Limapuluh District, on Thursday (26 / 3) morning show plateau residents. Two bouquet greeting grief terpajang also appear in the street.

From the house, the deceased mother's uterus, Emi Rahayu still looks heavy. Face swollen and his eyes glisten. He does not appear to sit far away from her husband Haryanto. Ibn Saputra Wahyu had previously indicated susfect bird flu by the local general hospitals (hospitals), Pekanbaru, Saturday (21 / 3) ago.

After a few days and then treated, the condition began to improve Revelation. But the will of Allah SWT other Thursday (26 / 3) dinihari, at around 02.30 WIB, the life of Revelation is not tertolong again. He immediately exhale the last breath.

Approximately at 07.00 WIB, after dimandikan in the mortuary, Rev. and brought back to the house in Jalan Kuantan kediamannya VII. At around 09.00 WIB, Revelation and buried in the cemetery general road locomotive, Pekanbaru.

Rev. father uterus, Hartono found at Riau Pos, Thursday (26 / 3) afternoon, said, before referred to hospitals, suffering from fever Revelation was for three days. Because kunjung not recover and was Ibn Sina Hospital. Here, in Revelation treated for six days. Hot body but not kunjung down.

Finally, Revelation diindikasi susfect bird flu. Finally, Saturday (21 / 3), the victims were referred to hospitals Pekanbaru. After several days in the care, conditions began to improve Revelation. Hot body starts to decrease and also decreased sesaknya.
-snip-
hat-tip Mojo

Mozambique: Worst cholera outbreak in a long time

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

Date: 25 Mar 2009

JOHANNESBURG, 25 March 2009 (IRIN) - With resources stretched thin, aid agencies struggling to contain a cholera outbreak across all but one of Mozambique's 10 provinces hope the approaching end of the rainy season will bring some relief.

"This year is worse than previous years, even worse than years in which we had floods. There are more cases and the fatality rate is slightly higher," secretary-general of the Mozambican Red Cross, Fernanda Teixeira, told IRIN. Over 12,000 cases and 157 deaths have been recorded since 1 January 2009.

The latest Southern Africa Regional Cholera Update, compiled by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the highest number of cases had been recorded in the northeastern provinces of Nampula (3,033) and Cabo Delgado (2,427).

"More and more districts are affected and there is an urgent need to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and response to the cholera outbreak in Mozambique, particularly in districts with high transmission risk and border districts to countries affected by cholera," the OCHA update said.

Not a new problem

Cholera is also ravaging neighbouring Zimbabwe - 92,811 cases and 4,077 deaths have been reported since August 2008, according to OCHA - but Teixeira said the Mozambican outbreak was not necessarily related: "Cholera has always been in Mozambique, it's endemic."

The cholera country profile of Mozambique by the World Health Organization notes that the disease has been present in the country since 1973. In 1992, '93, '98, '99 and 2004, notified cholera cases in Mozambique represented between one-third and one-fifth of all cases reported in Africa.

Cholera is a waterborne intestinal infection that causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, leading to rapid dehydration. Left untreated it can bring death within 24 hours, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) describes it as "an easily treatable disease" cured with rehydration salts.

Hard to eradicate

The surge in new cases was attributed to recent heavy rainfall in a number of provinces, but the underlying factors of cholera in Mozambique have always been related to pervasive water and sanitation problems, and a chronic lack of access to health facilities.

"There are many causes, like poor sanitation in cities and in the countryside," Texeira said. Less than 50 percent of Mozambique's 21 million people have access to safe drinking water.

The ministry of health has been leading the response to the outbreak, with the help of partners like WHO, the Red Cross and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). According to the OCHA update, health and water and sanitation were key areas in the ongoing intervention.

"Social mobilization campaigns via radio, and distribution of information, education and communication materials were being intensified in order to reduce misconceptions and mobilize community around key cholera prevention messages," the update noted.

The need for adequate information was recently evidenced in a tragic case of ignorance when two Mozambican Red Cross volunteers were killed by the local community, who were convinced that the volunteers were deliberately spreading cholera. The incident in early March resulted in the charity organization halting its health work in the province of Nampula.

Providing assistance in remote areas is often very difficult. "People in rural areas don't seek assistance, or lack access to health facilities; when they finally get there it's often too late," Teixiera said.

Money and weather may bring relief

The OCHA update said a US$ 875,000 donation by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) had recently been released to help the humanitarian community in Mozambique cover the immediate needs of the response.

In the meantime, Teixiera said, "We are doing what we can with the resources we have . the rainy season will come to an end in April; usually the situation then becomes better."

One more baby dies of hand, foot and mouth disease in east China

2009-03-26 20:42:38

Print

JINAN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in east China's Shandong Province confirmed Thursday the death of a baby girl from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). It brings the total death toll from HFMD in Heze, an inland city in Shandong, to three, the Shandong Provincial Health Bureau reported. The one year old girl, identified only by her surname as Wang, was a native of Sunlaojia Township, Caoxian County. She fell ill March 21 and died at 11:40 p.m. Wednesday at the Heze Hospital for Contagious Diseases. In addition to HFMD, other complications such as myocarditis, viral cerebritis and pulmonary edema were also blamed for the girl's death. The two other deaths in Heze included a seven-month-old boy identified as Liu and a 15-month-old boy identified as Zhang. Liu died Sunday and Zhang died Monday. Heze city reported 967 HFMD cases between Jan. 1 and midnight Wednesday, of which, 166 cases were added Wednesday. In Henan Province, which borders Shandong, HFMD had sickened 4,428 children as of midnight Wednesday since the beginning of this year. Three of whom died from the disease, according to ZhouYong, spokesman for the Henan Provincial Health Bureau. The province has initiated a daily report on HFMD cases to ensure timely treatment, said vice governor Song Xuantao of the province. According to the Ministry of Health, HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) were the most common. HFMD usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on hands and feet. Those with EV71 often show serious symptoms. HFMD can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.

UNDIAGNOSED FATALITIES - CHINA: YUNNAN exI ANHUI, REQUEST FOR NFORMATION

24-MAR-2009
Subject	PRO/MBDS> Undiagnosed fatalities - China: Yunnan ex Anhui, RFI

Date: Fri 20 Mar 2009
Source: China Org [edited]
<http://www.china.org.cn/china/news/2009-03/20/content_17477941.htm>

Investigation into the death of 12 migrant workers
A team of medical experts has been sent to Yunnan by the Ministry of
Health to investigate the causes of the deaths of 12 migrant workers.
An inspection team has also been sent to a number of sandstone plants
in Anhui Province, Chinanews.com.cn reports.
The 12 migrant workers died from a "strange disease" after returning
home to Yunnan. They had been working for a number of years in
sandstone plants in Fengyang County, Anhui. The Ministry of Health
has taken a keen interest in the case and is taking prompt action to
investigate the causes of the deaths, according to Yunnan.cn.

The migrant workers were attracted by the relatively high monthly
salary of 2000 yuan (USD 293) despite the poor working conditions in
the sandstone plants.

The sandstone plants are all small-scale, packed close together, just
a few meters apart. Many of the businesses have no name, some do not
even have a workshop, just an outdoor mill and a supply of sandstones.
The "Xuedong Quartz Sand Plant" was a name mentioned many times by
the workers who became ill with the disease. But it is just an
ordinary looking 2 or 3-room house with a 10 square-meter [108 sq-ft]
yard. The ground is covered with a layer of white dust, and the air
in the rooms has a pungent odor.

A migrant worker from Sichuan said that 10 of his colleagues had been
sent back the previous day after a health check because their boss
was afraid they might be suffering from pulmonary disease.

The local authority has asked all the plants to stop production, has
set a special work group responsible for the matter, and has
organized a mass meeting to discuss safer production methods.

[Byline: Jessica Zhang]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The detailed clinical symptoms of the 12 migrant workers who died in
Yunnan province are not described in the newswire although the
disease is mentioned to be associated with "air pollution and crowded
living conditions".

At the beginning of March 2009, hundreds of gold miners from Quang
Nam province, Viet Nam, hospitalized with respiratory symptoms were
diagnosed with pulmonary silicosis (see prior PRO/MBDS posting
Undiagnosed respiratory disease - Viet Nam (02): silicosis 20090311.1017).

A previous event of an unknown fatality, which was suspected to be
food poisoning, was also reported from Yunnan province in February
2009 (see prior PRO/MBDS posting Undiagnosed fatality - China:
Yunnan, food poisoning susp, RFI 20090228.0829). It was later
confirmed to have been caused by trichinellosis (see prior PRO/MBDS
posting Undiagnosed fatality - China (02): Yunnan, trichinellosis
conf. 20090306.0933).
In the absence of specific descriptions of the clinical presentations
preceding the deaths of these workers it is difficult to know if the
"strange disease" is respiratory in nature or perhaps related to
other exposures such as food.

PRO/MBDS would appreciate more information from reliable sources on
investigations into the etiology of the deaths of 12 migrant workers
in Yunnan province.

For a map of China with provinces, see
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/china_pol01.jpg>.
Yunnan is the most southwestern province in China and it borders
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province in the east,
Sichuan Province in the north, and Tibet Autonomous Region in the
northwest. It shares a border with Myanmar in the west, Laos in the
south, and Viet Nam in the southeast.

For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of China with links to other
ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings in China and surrounding areas, see
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=36.5,103.9,4>. - Mods.YMA/MPP]

25-MAR-2009
Subject	PRO/MBDS> Anthrax, human, bovine - Myanmar: (Kachin) RFI

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, BOVINE - MYANMAR: (KACHIN) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Date: Mon 16 Mar 2009
Source: Merinews [edited]
<http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15752171>


[PRO/MBDS apologizes for the delay in posting.]
Anthrax kills cattle in Kachin State, MyanmarIn Myanmar, where natural calamities and epidemics get the least
priority, there has been some alacrity in tackling the dreaded
anthrax in Burma's northern Kachin State capital Myitkyina. Cattle
have been dying since early this month [March 2009].

Heads of cattle owned by people in Myitkyina died within 24 hours
after they revealed symptoms where the foot trembled, reports in the
Myanmar media in exile said. According to veterinary doctors the
symptoms of anthrax are fever, swelling leading to death in animals
like sheep and cattle. The disease can be passed on to humans.
This has created panic among residents of the capital of Kachin State
in Myanmar. The Myanmar regime, however, for possibly the 1st time
reacted with some alacrity sending in veterinary doctors and staff to
tackle the disease.

The veterinary teams are injecting anti-anthrax vaccines in cattle in
villages in and around Myitkyina. Unlike anything that the junta
usually does, this time, however the veterinary team is visiting each
village for the vaccination with the help of village administrative
offices, reports added.

The junta authorities are, however, going about tackling the disease
quietly. It has made no public announcement about the disease neither
has it bothered to warn people not to sell meat of cattle dying from
anthrax in local markets. Locals believe that the disease has spread
due to weather changes in the state. Farmers in villages are worried
and are praying that the regime can control the spread of the
disease. They are apprehensive of their cattle dying of anthrax
because many depend on cattle for farm activities like ploughing
paddy fields and other crops.

[Byline: Kumar Sakar]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>

[PRO/MBDS is " borrowing" the moderator comment provided by
ProMED-mail animal health moderator Mod.MHJ, that accompanied this
posting in ProMED-mail (Anthrax, human, bovine - Myanmar: (KC) RFI 20090317.1083)

"The true level of this disease in Myanmar is hard to determine as it
under-reports and only retrospectively attempts control, as in this
report, which itself is unsubstantiated as yet. According to OIE
during the period 2005-2007 multiple human cases occurred ("+") but
actual numbers were not given. Livestock outbreaks occurred in
cattle, sheep, and pigs; in 2006 there were 7 bovine outbreaks, which
involved some 93 animals. In 2002 there was an outbreak in wildlife
in which 95 animals were affected but of unknown species. The
frequency that anthrax infected animals out of Myanmar turn up in
Thai border villages suggests that the disease is widespread.

If anyone has access to more substantive reports than this newswire,
it would be appreciated if they would share them with us. This is the
1st report of anthrax we have had ex-Myanmar and while we do not
suspect it to be disinformation, confirmation would be appreciated."

In addition to Mod.MHJ comments, there are some points worth
mentioning. The 1st point, anthrax is a zoonotic disease. The 2nd
point, anthrax among livestock is controlled through vaccination
programs, rapid case detection and case reporting, and burning or
burial of animals suspected or confirmed of having the disease. The
3rd point, the use of livestock vaccines was associated with
occasional animal casualties. The 4th point, the article above
reports that the clinical signs include fever, swelling leading to
death. The clinical signs reported make it very difficult to
differentiate the disease from others with clinicopathologic
findings, that is, blackleg, and hemorrhagic septicemia. More
information on hemorrhagic septicemia and blackleg is available at
<http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/55600.htm>
and <http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/50704.htm>

For a map of Myanmar go to
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/myanmar.pdf>.
Kachin State is the northernmost state in the country.

For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of Myanmar with links to
other recent ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings in Myanmar and
surrounding areas, see <http://healthmap.org/r/007w>. - Mod.TD]

Pig Hijackers Caught in PRRS Quarantine Zone

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
VIET NAM - The authorities have thwarted a pig hijacking an area hit by blue ear disease.



Authorities stopped a group of hijackers from stealing a truck carrying more than 300 frozen swine in a blue ear pig disease epidemic zone on 21 March.

The truck driver had been stopped by disease control and commercial management agencies earlier for attempting to bring the 305 swine out of Que Son District, Quang Nam Province. The district is currently a quarantine zone due to an outbreak of blue ear pig disease.

The driver had been instructed to transport the frozen animals to a culling centre as it is illegal to transport pigs or pork out of the zone.

It was en route to the culling centre that three people on motorbikes pulled in front of the truck, forcing the vehicle to pull over.

While the would-be bandits checked the vehicle's inventory, nearby officials witnessing the ordeal called the police, who soon arrived at the scene and arrested the hijackers.

An increasing amount of smuggling across quarantine boundaries has been recorded over the last 10 days, said local authorities.

The province has ordered all district authorities in the quarantine zone to sterilize breeding areas for free but many villages have reported being charged fees of VND3,000 (US$0.17) per pig.

The disease has infected at least 1,300 pigs in Quang Nam Province so far.

Two other provinces, Quang Ninh in the north and Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta, have been hit by the syndrome this year.

Blue ear disease, also known as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), is a viral and economically important pandemic disease which causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs.

Tainted Pigs Slaughtered in Guangzhou

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tainted Pigs Slaughtered in Guangzhou

CHINA - After a random test revealed that 19 pigs out of a shipment of 149 were contaminated by harmful additives, food safety authorities decided to cull the whole herd.

Danwei reports that enforcement personnel used high-voltage electricity to kill pigs in Guangzhou yesterday.

According to Danwei, an article on today's Southern Metropolis Daily uses the term "shouroujing" ("lean meat essence") to refer to the additive. China Daily identifies the chemical as clenbuterol hydrochloride, a respiratory drug that has the side effect of increasing the muscle to fat ratio.

Last week, it was reported that six pig farmers were arrested for administering clenbuterol and Ractopamine, a leanness supplement approved by the USFDA and a number of other countries but banned in China, to their pigs.

On 21 February, the newspaper reported that 67 people fell ill after eating pork products which tested positive for the additives. Some victims said they had eaten pork liver, which usually contains a higher concentration of the chemicals than meat.

Safari park seals off monkey enclosure after virus discovery

4:23pm Thursday 26th March 2009

By Wiltshire Times Reporter »

Longleat Safari Park near Warminster has sealed off its drive-through monkey enclosure after one of the females tested positive for the Simian Herpes virus.

After carrying out routine testing of the monkey colony, one of the female monkeys was found to have contracted the virus.

The whole group have now been tested and all the other monkeys have proven to be negative.

But despite this, Longleat is keeping its Monkey Jungle closed to drive-through traffic until further tests on the affected monkey have been undertaken Longleat has tested its monkeys regularly since 2000 and the tests have been carried out with the Health Protection Agency at Colindale.

The safari park is now investigating how the monkey contracted the virus

Anti-Bird Flu Work Intensified

Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- The government of the DPRK is pushing ahead with the anti-bird flu work as a permanent one. Kim Yong Suk, vice-chairwoman of the State Emergency Anti-Epidemic Commission (SEAC), told KCNA that today the bird influenza, malignant infectious disease is spreading wider in the world without dying down, adding that it is imperative to continue to direct much effort to the work. A bird flu case has not been reported in the country since the formation of the SEAC, she went on, because the bird flu prevention work has been done forcefully as a nation-wide and all-people work. As part of the anti-bird flu work, survey districts have been set up in the areas through which winter migrants move mainly and the study on the movement has been intensified to grasp the species of birds, their movement and inhabitation and others. In particular, a concrete survey has been done on the summer migrants including oriole, hoopoe and cuckoo and the transit birds including snipe, which fly from the bird flu-stricken Southeast Asia and efforts have been made to prevent them from coming close to the poultry farms and villages. Meanwhile, a scientific research has been conducted to prevent bird influenza. In this course, the Cell and Gene Engineering Branch of the State Academy of Sciences established a swift differentiation method to find out the bird flu virus at any time by the method of analyzing gene. And the Veterinary Medicine Research Institute of the Academy of Agricultural Science has achieved many successes in the work of developing and introducing the quick diagnostic technology of bird flu. A hygienic and epizootic prevention campaign against avian flu has been strengthened than ever before throughout the country. While conducting hygienic propaganda briskly among the people to give deep common knowledge on the bird flu to them, medical workers examine their health thoroughly. Cold prognostication centres have been set up in the densely populated areas to collect information and take steps for the prevention of cold among the people every day and a special medical check-up for the working people in the poultry field, inhabitants living in the areas through which migrants move and employees of zoos in different parts of the country is being done and they are put under special medical observation. The DPRK will persistently continue bird flu prevention work in close contact with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Investigators say food tracing system full of gaps

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, The Associated Press

7:34 a.m. March 26, 2009

WASHINGTON — The government's system for tracing foods is riddled with holes, and that could undercut officials' ability to find the source of a disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack, according to a federal report released Thursday.

Investigators for the Health and Human Services inspector general's office conducted a test of the tracing system. The result: they were only able to follow five out of 40 foods all the way through the supply chain.

The ability to trace food is a critical part of investigations into outbreaks of food-borne illness and would be crucial in a bioterrorism attack. Food companies are required by federal law to keep records that would allow investigators to follow suspect foods one step back and one step forward in the supply chain.

But the inspector general's investigation found that the records many companies keep are not detailed enough. And one-quarter of the company managers were totally unaware of the record keeping requirements.

"The food safety regulatory structure lacks an adequate traceability system," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who requested the investigation. "Traceability is a critical tool in our ability to identify the source of a food-borne illness outbreak."

In the past, the food industry successfully lobbied against efforts to impose electronic record keeping and other requirements that may improve tracing. But the issue is sure to be revisited this year. President Barack Obama has launched a review of the government's fragmented food safety system. Several bills have been introduced on Capitol Hill.

"Trace-back will be a critical part of food safety reform in this Congress," DeLauro said.

In the test, government investigators bought 40 food items, including bottled water, eggs, oatmeal, tomatoes, fruit juice and yogurt. They then attempted to trace the items back from the retailer to the source.

They were only able to fully trace 12.5 percent of the items.

For 31 of the 40, investigators said they were able to identify the facilities that most likely handled the products.

And in the case of four items – 10 percent of the total – investigators were unable to identify the facilities that handled them.

Problems with tracing foods drew attention last summer after investigators from the Food and Drug Administration struggled for weeks to identify the cause of a salmonella outbreak initially blamed on tomatoes. No contaminated tomatoes were found, but the outbreak strain eventually was discovered in hot peppers from Mexico.

The inspector general's report said most facilities do not keep records with specific lot numbers that would facilitate the tracing of foods.

"For example, for one product – a bag of flour – the storage facility did not know the exact farms that contributed to the product and, therefore, had to give us information about every farm that provided wheat during the previous harvest season," the report said.

The report said 70 out 118 food facilities in the traceback test did not meet the FDA's record keeping requirements for information about suppliers, shippers and customers.

"In some cases, managers had to look through large numbers of records – some of them paper based – for contact information," the report said.

The inspector general recommended that the FDA consider seeking stronger legal powers to improve the tracing of food. The FDA said it was reviewing the recommendations.

An examination by The Associated Press last summer found that the food industry pressured the Bush administration to limit the paperwork that companies have to keep to help trace food. It was after the Sept. 11 attacks, and Congress was considering bioterrorism legislation. The bill that ultimately passed included the requirement that companies be able to trace foods one step forward and one step back in the supply chain.

The Bush White House killed a plan to require the industry to maintain electronic records. Companies complained the proposals would cost too much and could disrupt the availability of fresh produce.

Bird flu workshop begins in siem reap

Thursday, 26 March 2009

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Department of Animal Health and Production has invited 40 commercial poultry farmers to a workshop in Siem Reap. The workshop, held today, aims to encourage farmers to adopt simple and practical bio-security measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza. Dr Teresa Cereno, technical adviser to the FAO Avian Influenza Control and Prevention Program said, "Improving widespread adoption of good bio-security practices remains a crucial challenge in prevention of avian influenza in poultry and humans."

Prevent the transport illegal imported chickens in Lang Son

Update 10:26 on 26-03-2009

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While all countries are concerned to cope with HPAI, all the chicken is epidemic, on the border line Lang Son, daily for employers who hire people transporting chickens imported through illegal ways wear borders. Despite the efforts, prevention of the function, enter the chicken illegal Van Tran from border to domestic ... From town Sign rules, according to National Highway 1A, contrary to the Huu Nghi border gate than 3 km, turn left to Bao Lam commune, where the market biên Pac San Road, continue to flow and villages Co. Na Pan "gateway", "pharynx" illegal import chicken from The Home, Thach Thuong, Guangxi (China).

(snip)

continuus smuggling and lack of control of it.. at the link

Indonesia: The Stupid, it Burns

The Stupid. It Burns!" I don’t know where this Simpson-esque phrase comes from, but The Stupid burns pretty bright in the brains of Republican Governors Mark Sanford and Bobby Jindal who are refusing stimulus money for unemployment compensation even though their states have some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. That’s stupid. Like refusing help with avian influenza even if you have more cases of the disease than anywhere in the world. The Stupid isn’t just an American disease.

Take Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari. Please.

Source: plognark

Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari has called on the country’s medical institutions to carry out their own virus and DNA research free of foreign funding - to avoid “exploitation” from developed countries and the possibility of a future biological attack against the world’s largest Muslim nation.

“I’m truly afraid the world will use our viruses or DNAs to create a mass biological weapon that may be used to attack us,” she said.

Supari surprised the world when she abruptly stopped sending bird flu virus samples to the World Health Organisation in 2007. She reasoned that the WHO wanted the virus to create an effective bird flu vaccine using the Indonesian strain but offered nothing in return.

“Indonesia is perceived by many countries as both a potential object of exploitation and a promising market for new vaccines.” The minister said that the virus samples were given for free but Indonesia had to later purchase the vaccine - developed using those samples - at a high price.

Supari said that all research conducted in Indonesia should abide by a decree she issued in 2008 governing the use of biological substances, including viruses or DNA samples. She said the decree was issued to reduce Indonesia’s dependency on foreign funding especially for research of potentially pandemic diseases such as bird flu.

Supari said Indonesia should ideally be able to research its own viruses and produce its derivative products without having to depend on foreign intervention. She said that by being independent and mastering Indonesia’s own strain of viruses, the country would have stronger bargaining power in the world.

“Trust me on this one, there is no such thing as free help. When people offer big money to help you, they undoubtedly expect to benefit from it,” Supari said. (Alice Kok, Futuregov)

"There is no such thing as free help." Of course there is, but in this case the help is being offered and virus isolates sought for a real and tangible benefit to the rest of the world: warning about and devising the means to protect against a dangerous virus with pandemic potential. We’ve been clear that there need to be adjustments in the way intellectual property is handled for matters of global infectious disease concern. So Indonesia and other countries have a point. Just not the point that the Health Minister is making.

We’ve posted on this so often I have The Stupid fatigue (a few of many here, here, here, here, here, here). So I can hardly summon the energy to tap the keys again, but here’s some more:

Supari urged Indonesian scientists and researchers to conduct their research independently and pledged that the Ministry of Health would try its best to help fund their projects.

Agus Purwadianto, Head of the Health Ministry’s Research and Development Agency said that researchers or institutions refusing to abide by the decree would have to face the consequences.

“We may revoke a researcher’s or institution’s license if they insist on conducting research that may harm the country’s sovereignty and we won’t recognise findings from the research,” he said.

The Stupid, it Burns.