Updated on 24-07-2010 17:39
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
NDDT - According to information from the Veterinary Department of Gia Lai province, in those days, about 1,900 children flocks of chickens, ducks and thousands of Vu Thanh Sang, Thanh Ha village resident, Ia Hrung commune, Ia Grai district any expect sudden death on 100 children, he sang was the situation on the district Veterinary Station.
On 22-7 Provincial Department of Animal Health has taken samples sent for testing at the Animal Health Da Nang, the results of three samples were positive for H5N1.
Currently the provincial Animal Health Department has organized the destruction of all the birds sang in his house, and deploy the work of disinfection sterilization Ia Hrung communal areas and the surrounding area to control the disease situation. This is the first appearance of Gia Lai H5N1.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Avian influenza, human (46): InVS update
| 22-JUL-2010 | |
| Subject | PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, human (46): InVS update |
AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (46): INSTITUT DE VEILLE SANITAIRE UPDATE
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 22 Jul 2010
Source: Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 29 [edited]
<http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19619>
The influenza A(H5N1) epidemic at 6 and a half years: 500 notified
human cases and more to come
-----------------------------------------------
By: A Tarantola 1, P Barboza1, V Gauthier1, S Ioos1, N El Omeiri1, M
Gastellu-Etchegorry1, and the Epidemic Intelligence team at InVS 2
1 - International and Tropical Department, Institut de Veille
Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France
2 - The Epidemic Intelligence team at InVS
Introduction
--------------
Since November 2003, the epidemic intelligence team at the French
Institut de Veille Sanitaire [InVS] has been gathering data on
influenza A(H5N1) circulation in poultry and on human cases
worldwide. As Indonesia notifies the world's 500th case to the World
Health Organization, we discuss the epidemiological situation and
trends of A(H5N1) influenza [A 501st case has now been reported; see:
ProMED-mail report "Avian influenza, human (45): Indonesia (SH),
archive number 20100718.2404. - Mod.CP]. Although the overall number
of cases reported worldwide has decreased, influenza A(H5N1)
continues to circulate intensely in some countries, and more cases
are to be expected, especially in Egypt and Indonesia.
The international and tropical department of the Institut de Veille
Sanitaire (InVS) conducts constant monitoring of health events
worldwide to provide French health authorities with timely
forewarning of public health events of international concern. This
process, known as epidemic intelligence (EI), has been described
elsewhere [1]. Although topics vary widely, the situation of highly
pathogenic influenza A(H5N1) influenza in the world has constantly
been monitored since 2003. This paper describes the epidemiological
situation 6 and a half years into the epidemic, as Indonesian
authorities notify the world's 500th case since November 2003 [2].
Epizootic
-----------
From the end of 2003 to 1 Jul 2010, 63 countries or territories on
the Asian, African or European continents (incl. 15 European Union
countries) have notified infections by influenza A(H5N1) virus in
poultry or wild birds to the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE) [3]. In 2009, a total of 9 countries notified outbreaks in
poultry or were considered enzootic by OIE: Bangladesh, Cambodia,
China (Tibet and Xinjiang), Egypt, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal (1st
notification) and Viet Nam. Six other countries or territories
notified cases in wild birds only: China (Qinghai and Hong Kong SAR),
Germany, Mongolia and the Russian Federation (Moscow Oblast and
Republic of Tyva). In 2010, 12 countries have been affected to date:
Bangladesh, Bhutan (for the 1st time), Cambodia, Egypt, India,
Indonesia, Israel, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Romania and Viet Nam.
Furthermore, in 2010, cases were reported in wild birds only by
animal health authorities in Bulgaria, China (Tibet and Hong Kong SA!
R), Mongolia and the Russian Federation (Republic of Tyva). Many
other countries, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, have suspected
transmission in predominantly backyard flocks, but lack surveillance
systems to document it. [These data in those countries with
documented human cases are summarised in schematic form in the
original text].
Since 2003, cases of influenza A(H5N1) virus infection have also been
occasionally documented in wild (felines, ferrets etc.) or domestic
mammals (cats and dogs). No secondary transmission to humans,
however, has been described following contacts with animals other
than poultry or wild birds.
Wild aquatic fowl constitute the animal reservoir and have
occasionally reintroduced influenza A(H5N1) -- in European countries
along the Danube or in Viet Nam for example -- leading to sporadic
outbreaks in poultry flocks despite previous and successful
elimination efforts.
Human epidemic
----------------------
From 1 Nov 2003 to 1 Jul 2010 (by date of symptom onset), a total of
500 confirmed human cases of influenza A(H5N1) including 296 deaths
(case fatality rate (CFR) 59 percent) were notified to the World
Health Organization (WHO) by 15 countries [4]
From 1 Jan to 1 Jul 2010, 32 confirmed human cases including 14
deaths (CFR 44 percent) were notified by 7 countries. During the same
period in 2009, 41 confirmed human cases including 12 deaths (CFR 29
percent) were notified by China, Egypt and Viet Nam. Indonesia also
reported 18 cases during that period, although data on deaths by date
are not available. In 2009, a total of 73 confirmed human cases
including 32 deaths (CFR 44 percent) were notified by these 4
countries plus Cambodia. Five countries, which had notified cases in
preceding years, have notified no new cases since 2006: Azerbaijan,
Djibouti, Iraq, Thailand and Turkey. Three additional countries
(Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan) have not notified any case since 2007.
Since November 2003, reported human cases seem to follow an overall
downward trend and occur mostly during the period from November to
April. This variation is due to seasonal patterns described also in
poultry [5,6] in the countries which were mainly affected in the
northern hemisphere, especially Egypt, Thailand and Viet Nam. In
Indonesia, however, cases tend to occur throughout the year.
Since the end of 2003, most (366 of 500; 73 percent) notified human
cases of influenza A(H5N1) occurred in Asia, notably in Indonesia,
China and Viet Nam. Since the start of the epidemic, Indonesia
remains the most affected country (33 percent of cases and 46 percent
of deaths notified worldwide). Indonesia notified 21 cases including
19 deaths (CFR 90 percent) in 2009 and 4 cases including 3 deaths
(CFR 75 percent) in 2010 up to 1 Jul 2010.
The number of cases has fallen in Asia, while it has progressively
increased in the Near East (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey).
Between November 2003 and December 2005, 100 percent of notified
cases occurred in Asia. In 2006 and 2007, the annual proportion of
cases notified by Asian countries remained somewhat stable at 63
percent and 70 percent, respectively. From January 2008 to 1 Jul
2010, 83 (56 percent) of 149 notified cases occurred in Asia; the
remaining 66 cases worldwide were notified by Egypt. The percentage
of cases notified by Egypt has risen steadily from 18 percent of
worldwide cases in 2008, to 53 percent in 2009, to 59 percent of
worldwide cases notified to date for 2010.
Changes in the H5 haemagglutinin have determined a phylogeny with
clades and sub-clades. Clade 2.2.1 viruses circulate in poultry in
Egypt, while clade 2.3.2 and 2.3.4 viruses circulate in Asia [7].
There is no conclusive evidence for differences in virulence or
resistance to oseltamivir among these viruses. The health outcomes
for humans infected with these viruses can be explained by
differences in the timeliness and type of medical management and drug
treatment.
The overwhelming majority of cases with documented exposure acquired
the influenza A(H5N1) virus from sick or dead poultry or wild birds.
Many cases lack documented exposure, while for some, although this
was never definitively proven, there is a strong suspicion of
involving environmental sources or human-to-human transmission.
Clustered cases and human-to-human transmission
---------------------------------Since 2003, there have been at least 40 clustered events involving a
total of over 100 confirmed cases in 12 countries: Azerbaijan,
Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Thailand, Turkey and Viet Nam. Overwhelmingly, the suspected or
documented source was common exposure to sick or dead poultry,
although investigation concluded that limited human-to-human
transmission occurred in some instances: Most of these clusters
involved persons with close familial ties [8]. Although its relevance
remains debated [9], at least some degree of genetic susceptibility
probably plays a role, as shown by events such as the 3-generation
transmission cluster described in 2006 in the Karo district of North
Sumatra, Indonesia [10] or the family clusters described in Turkey
[11]. These clusters of limited human-to-human transmission occurred
after people had close and repeated contact with cases and did not
fully observe standard precautions to prevent infection [12]. Cases
of nosocomial influenza A(H5N1) transmission had been described in
Hong Kong hospitals in 1997 [13]. Since 2003, however, no confirmed
influenza A(H5N1) transmission in the healthcare setting has been
documented in studies done to date [14].
Quality of available information
-------------------------------
Human case detection and reporting largely depends on the
availability and intensity of reliable diagnostic efforts. The global
influenza A(H5N1) case count probably vastly under represents the
true case burden worldwide. Since December 2009, Indonesian health
authorities have resumed their collaboration with WHO and notify
cases officially. Since January 2009, 25 cases and 22 deaths (CFR 88
percent) have been notified from the Indonesian archipelago. With the
exception of a single case documented in Riau Province (central
Sumatra), all notified cases lived on the island of Java. This
geographical distribution and the comparatively high CFR suggest that
access to diagnosis may be uneven, that severe cases are over
represented among detected cases, and/or that timely clinical
management remains a challenge. In China, human cases continue to be
reported with no prior notification of influenza A(H5N1) circulation
in poultry, pointing to the probable under detection or under
reporting of poultry outbreaks in that country. In an area such as
upper Egypt, access to timely diagnosis and care is associated with
lower CFR, but suspected human cases occurring in remote locations
may not all be officially detected and/or reported and would have
contributed to a higher CFR.
Conclusions
----------
All these elements seem to converge and sketch out the following
situation: some countries which were heavily affected before 2007
(such as Thailand and Turkey) seem to have controlled the situation
and reduced risks to humans. The influenza A(H5N1) virus, however,
continues to circulate in poultry elsewhere, especially in
Bangladesh, Egypt and Indonesia, where the enzootic remains intense. The A(H5N1) influenza virus is one of several which could
hypothetically give rise to a pandemic in the future [15]. Although
this risk cannot be quantified, poultry outbreaks and human cases
now, in contrast to the period from 2003 to 2004, occur in some of
the most densely populated urban or suburban areas in the world. Not
only might this increase the risk of the virus being transmitted to
humans living in close proximity to animals, it may also challenge
usual control measures (which are easier to apply to large farms
than, for instance, backyard flocks) and make it more difficult to
contain a nascent influenza A(H5N1) pandemic should one arise [16].
Human cases continue and will continue to occur as long as the
situation in animals is not brought under control. Authorities and
populations face a complex situation in Egypt and Indonesia, but
communication in these countries is transparent and constructive and
allows for quick reporting of cases, especially if suspected clusters
should arise. Although the global CFR reported in 2009 was lower than
that observed in 2008, it varies greatly between countries. Some
countries report a greater number of cases and fewer deaths, perhaps
due to improved surveillance and access to diagnostic techniques and
medical care [17,18]. However, cases occurring in remote locations
with no access to healthcare, although having a higher CFR, may still
not come to the attention of health authorities or be reported for
lack of biological confirmation.
Many clustered events have occurred, some of which are highly likely
to have involved human-to-human transmission. To date, this has
remained limited with no sustained community transmission. Available
data, especially those gathered following clustered events, show
that, so far, the virus shows no sign of "humanisation," i.e. the
ability to transmit easily from human to human. The overall worldwide
situation of influenza A(H5N1), however, has not markedly improved
since 2003. This fact, and regular reintroduction of the virus by
wild birds in countries where foci have been controlled (such as
Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey or Viet Nam) underscore the importance of
maintaining adequate surveillance and response capacities for
infections in both animals and humans.
(The Epidemic Intelligence team at InVS's International and Tropical
Department as of 1 Jan 2010 in alphabetical order: Fatima Ait
el-Belghiti, Philippe Barboza, Laurence Cherie-Challine, Sandra
Cohuet, Dominique Dejour-Salamanca, Nathalie El Omeiri, Marc
Gastellu-Etchegorry, Violaine Gauthier, Myriam Gharbi, Sophie Ioos,
Guy La Ruche, Arnaud Tarantola, Laetitia Vaillant.)
Blue ear pig was spreading to the south
Updated on: 23/07/10 00:32
Live poultry illegally seized.
(Inspector) - In the latest report sent leader Ho Chi Minh City, the Steering Committee made an emergency action plan prevention and control of avian and pandemic influenza in humans (PSC PCD) has warned that diseases Blue ear pig (cooperative) tend to spread to move the southern provinces, including HCM City.
* Shipping and trading of live poultry is widespread illegal
Changes in complex diseases
Truong Thi Kim Chau, Deputy Director Department of Animal Health Department said that HCM City, while bird flu and foot and mouth epidemic on a national scale temporary settlement, the province does not have flu is not over 21 days , the service cooperatives have tended complicated. So far, there are a total of seven provinces and city cooperatives have not translated over 21 days, including five northern provinces (Hung Yen, Lang Son, Nghe An, Cao Bang, Quang Tri province) and two southern provinces (Tien Giang , Soc Trang, Soc Trang, which arise as new local service last week).
Article ominous, service cooperatives are shifting "attack" to the southern provinces. If the function does not care industry, and expeditiously to prevent, stop the epidemic spreading risk over a large area. As recommended by the PSC PCD HCM City, which the authorities need to do now is to increase inspections at the animal quarantine station traffic hub as well as close monitoring of the epidemiological situation in the animal facilities concentrated livestock areas, key focus areas of migrant farmers, the old and the outbreak of slaughter. "Aggressive measures will help authorities to detect early cases of cattle transported from the provincial disease and the surrounding areas poured into Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, the City timely remedial measures proposed, not to spread to the community, "Ms Chau said.
Pervasive "market" and illegal poultry
In fact, the situation of transport and trade in live poultry in the province illegally HCMC still widespread. Statistics show that only in weeks (12 - 18 / 7), functional forces has recorded 152 points to sell live poultry blatantly illegal activities, from inner city to the coastal counties suburban districts, like District 5, 6, 2, 7, 9, 12, Binh Chanh, Binh Tan, Go Vap, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi and Thu Duc ... Within a week, authorities have handled hundreds of cases consume poultry business and products not animal veterinary hygiene
Proliferation, survival curb rampant markets trading poultry and livestock products illegally, does not guarantee food safety in the province city, according to assessment of PCD HCMC Steering Committee, is a part stage is caused by the patrol, control and supervision of the local steering PCD has not been good. Therefore, HCM City Steering Committee has recommended PCD PCD PSC localities should work to maintain the frequency of inter-branch inspection teams, regular and irregular areas of focus in the poultry business households as well as interest illegally arranging block major force in the regular place of business and determined handling of cases slaughtering and trading of cattle and poultry in the province illegally.
To prevent remote state enterprises dispersed outside goods consumption of animal products imported frozen microbial infection exceeded permissible limits pending, PCD HCMC Steering Committee requested the local authorities have cold storage flexibility to expedite the process early, not to store too long for those shipments microbiological contamination problems.
Live poultry illegally seized.
(Inspector) - In the latest report sent leader Ho Chi Minh City, the Steering Committee made an emergency action plan prevention and control of avian and pandemic influenza in humans (PSC PCD) has warned that diseases Blue ear pig (cooperative) tend to spread to move the southern provinces, including HCM City.
* Shipping and trading of live poultry is widespread illegal
Changes in complex diseases
Truong Thi Kim Chau, Deputy Director Department of Animal Health Department said that HCM City, while bird flu and foot and mouth epidemic on a national scale temporary settlement, the province does not have flu is not over 21 days , the service cooperatives have tended complicated. So far, there are a total of seven provinces and city cooperatives have not translated over 21 days, including five northern provinces (Hung Yen, Lang Son, Nghe An, Cao Bang, Quang Tri province) and two southern provinces (Tien Giang , Soc Trang, Soc Trang, which arise as new local service last week).
Article ominous, service cooperatives are shifting "attack" to the southern provinces. If the function does not care industry, and expeditiously to prevent, stop the epidemic spreading risk over a large area. As recommended by the PSC PCD HCM City, which the authorities need to do now is to increase inspections at the animal quarantine station traffic hub as well as close monitoring of the epidemiological situation in the animal facilities concentrated livestock areas, key focus areas of migrant farmers, the old and the outbreak of slaughter. "Aggressive measures will help authorities to detect early cases of cattle transported from the provincial disease and the surrounding areas poured into Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, the City timely remedial measures proposed, not to spread to the community, "Ms Chau said.
Pervasive "market" and illegal poultry
In fact, the situation of transport and trade in live poultry in the province illegally HCMC still widespread. Statistics show that only in weeks (12 - 18 / 7), functional forces has recorded 152 points to sell live poultry blatantly illegal activities, from inner city to the coastal counties suburban districts, like District 5, 6, 2, 7, 9, 12, Binh Chanh, Binh Tan, Go Vap, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi and Thu Duc ... Within a week, authorities have handled hundreds of cases consume poultry business and products not animal veterinary hygiene
Proliferation, survival curb rampant markets trading poultry and livestock products illegally, does not guarantee food safety in the province city, according to assessment of PCD HCMC Steering Committee, is a part stage is caused by the patrol, control and supervision of the local steering PCD has not been good. Therefore, HCM City Steering Committee has recommended PCD PCD PSC localities should work to maintain the frequency of inter-branch inspection teams, regular and irregular areas of focus in the poultry business households as well as interest illegally arranging block major force in the regular place of business and determined handling of cases slaughtering and trading of cattle and poultry in the province illegally.
To prevent remote state enterprises dispersed outside goods consumption of animal products imported frozen microbial infection exceeded permissible limits pending, PCD HCMC Steering Committee requested the local authorities have cold storage flexibility to expedite the process early, not to store too long for those shipments microbiological contamination problems.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
FMD Outbreak Reported in Russia
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The World Organisation for Animal Health has reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Russia. To date, the disease has affected cattle, swine, sheep and goats. Russian veterinary authorities sent an immediate notification to the OIE on Monday.
A total of 112 cattle were found affected, while 2256 showed signs of susceptibility. In the case of swine, four animals were found affected while 50 were found susceptible to the disease. No animals were destroyed.
According to the report, the outbreak occurred about 7 miles from the Chinese border. The source of the outbreak is remains inconclusive and is under investigation.
Russia Finds Foot-and-Mouth Disease Near China Border
July 20, 2010, 5:54 AM EDT
July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Russia is suffering from its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since 2006 after the virus was found in livestock near the Chinese border, according to the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE.
The virus infected 112 cattle and four pigs located 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the border, an alert by Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture published yesterday on the Paris-based OIE’s website shows. Vaccination and quarantine measures have been applied, according to the alert.
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most contagious animal illnesses and can kill young offspring, according to the OIE. A 2001 outbreak in the U.K. caused at least 9 billion pounds ($13.7 billion) in damages including direct expenses, costs to tourism and compensation payments to farmers, according to Cardiff University’s Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society.
The Russian outbreak started on July 5 and was confirmed by laboratory testing on July 18, the alert shows. Before now, the disease most recently occurred in the country in June 2006, according to the notice.
Russia had 19.6 million pigs and 17.9 million head of cattle in 2009, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The country’s livestock herd ranks behind countries including the U.S. and Brazil.
China in November reported an outbreak of the viral disease among cattle in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
The foot-and-mouth virus infects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, pigs and sheep. It can cause foot lesions, as well as weight loss and permanently reduced milk production in cattle.
Angola: UN health agency warns that polio outbreak may spread
Health workers administer oral polio vaccine
At least 15 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been recorded across Angola since the start of the year, and WHO said in an update issued yesterday that the pattern of the cases signal that the outbreak is expanding.
All of the cases that have been detected since February were recorded in either the capital, Luanda, or in five provinces РBi̩, Bengo, Huambo, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul Рthat had previously been considered polio-free. Another genetically related case was detected in a neighbouring province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) earlier this year.
WHO said polio vaccination coverage needs to substantially improve, with as many as 25 per cent of children regularly missed during supplementary immunization campaigns over the past 18 months.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure that all children in Angola are reached with oral poliovirus vaccine” next month and in September, when subsequent rounds of immunizations are scheduled to take place, according to the agency.
It also urged countries in the region to strengthen their disease surveillance so they can mount a rapid response if cases begin to occur in their jurisdictions.
WHO is also calling on travellers to and from Angola to ensure they are fully vaccinated against polio.
Sometimes called poliomyelitis, polio is a highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease, and is often marked by acute flaccid paralysis among sufferers. It has been eradicated from much of the world, but experience shows that the virus can travel far relatively rapidly.
Swine flu follows monsoon trail
New Delhi, July 19 (IANS)
The monsoon, a much-awaited phenomenon in India, has this year brought with it a return of the swine flu virus. With 332 cases reported from all over the country since July 12, swine flu has spread to almost every part of the country.
Kerala has the highest number of 121 reported cases, closely followed by Maharashtra with 102 cases so far.
A total of 21 deaths have been reported from the affected states.
The death toll is highest in Maharashtra with 11 deaths reported. Kerala reported 8 deaths, while Delhi and Gujarat, which saw rapid spread of the virus in the last two weeks, have reported one each.
In the northern plains, which was saved from the virus due to the dry weather, the monsoon has brought with it the threat of rapid spread of H1N1. Delhi has reported 14 cases, Haryana one, and Uttar Pradesh two cases so far.
However, according to experts, the virus may not create as much havoc this year as people have developed some immunity to it.
‘The problem will be severe only if the virus mutates again,’ a health ministry official said.
‘With two indigenous vaccines, we are now prepared to face the threat,’ he added.
Since its outbreak in May last year, swine flu has so far claimed 1,646 lives in India so far.
The monsoon, a much-awaited phenomenon in India, has this year brought with it a return of the swine flu virus. With 332 cases reported from all over the country since July 12, swine flu has spread to almost every part of the country.
Kerala has the highest number of 121 reported cases, closely followed by Maharashtra with 102 cases so far.
A total of 21 deaths have been reported from the affected states.
The death toll is highest in Maharashtra with 11 deaths reported. Kerala reported 8 deaths, while Delhi and Gujarat, which saw rapid spread of the virus in the last two weeks, have reported one each.
In the northern plains, which was saved from the virus due to the dry weather, the monsoon has brought with it the threat of rapid spread of H1N1. Delhi has reported 14 cases, Haryana one, and Uttar Pradesh two cases so far.
However, according to experts, the virus may not create as much havoc this year as people have developed some immunity to it.
‘The problem will be severe only if the virus mutates again,’ a health ministry official said.
‘With two indigenous vaccines, we are now prepared to face the threat,’ he added.
Since its outbreak in May last year, swine flu has so far claimed 1,646 lives in India so far.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN (05): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
[1]
Date: Tue 13 Jul 2010
Source: Nature 466, 302-303 (2010) [edited]
<http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100713/full/466302a.html>
Japanese monkey deaths puzzle
------------------------------
Scientists from Japan's premier primate research centre are
struggling to reassure the public that a mysterious illness killing
their monkeys poses no threat to humans. Almost a decade after it 1st
appeared, scientists from Kyoto University's Primate Research
Institute (PRI) [also abbreviated KUPRI] described the disease and
their unsuccessful search for a cause in an online publication on 1
Jul 2010 and in a press release on 7 Jul 2010. But their account
leaves other researchers hungry for details.
In the 1st outbreak to hit the PRI in Inuyama, near Nagoya, between
July 2001 and July 2002, 7 Japanese macaques (_Macaca fuscata_) fell
ill and 6 of them died from what the institute scientists
provisionally call a 'haemorrhagic syndrome.' Symptoms included
anorexia, lethargy, pallor and nasal haemorrhaging. Autopsies
revealed bleeding in the lungs and intestines. Genetic, bacterial and
toxicological tests failed to pinpoint a cause, and after the
outbreak ran its course, operations at the institute returned to
normal. But between March 2008 and April 2010, another 39 cases
appeared in the same species. Of those, 25 died of the disease and 13
were humanely killed. Only one monkey survived each outbreak.
On 1 Jul 2010, an institute committee set up after the 2nd outbreak
published its findings in the online version of the Japanese-language
journal Primate Research (Kyoto University Primate Research Institute
Disease Control Committee Primate Res. 26, 69-71; 2010). The
committee tested blood, faeces and tissues from the diseased monkeys
for 6 bacteria and 16 viruses. The tests, which included PCR
analysis, turned up nothing that could explain the deaths. Francois
Villinger, director of pathology at the Yerkes National Primate
Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says that Japanese laboratories
tend to have excellent diagnostic capabilities: "Therefore I have
confidence in the fact that the illness is probably not due to any of
the known agents inducing haemorrhagic fevers."
PRI director Tetsuro Matsuzawa spoke out against suggestions in the
local media that the disease could spread to humans or other animals.
At the 7 Jul 2010 press conference, he stressed that none of the
other primate species at the institute, which houses more than 1200
animals from 13 species, including chimpanzees, marmosets and
crab-eating macaques, has contracted the syndrome. The humans who
handled the monkeys also show no symptoms. "I don't like the
headlines in the news media," he says. "We think that the
haemorrhagic syndrome is due to a species-specific pathogen of the
Japanese monkeys."
Matsuzawa says that the institute did not publish its findings
earlier because it feared causing panic in the wider population.
Cases are still occurring, but following the use of disinfectants and
the isolation of sick monkeys, the pace has slowed to one case in May
and one in June. Matsuzawa is holding back some data for a more
detailed future publication and would not answer Nature's questions
about whether his group is also probing possible environmental
causes, which bacteria and viruses have been tested for, and what
analysis of the 2 surviving monkeys has revealed.
By screening the 790 remaining Japanese macaques for other viruses
and bacteria and running genetic tests, Matsuzawa hopes to pin down
the cause of the syndrome and to create a test for early diagnosis.
He says that he is looking for collaborators, and animal-pathogen
researchers contacted by Nature are certainly eager to learn more
about the illness. Primate disease specialist Sonia Altizer of the
University of Georgia in Athens wonders whether any of the animals
were recently captured in the wild, where they could have picked up
the infection, and whether animals were housed singly or in groups.
"Knowing the possible contacts between animals and the chronological
pattern of illness or deaths might also help determine whether this
was indeed an infectious agent, and the possible routes of
transmission," she says.
She also asks what measures the human workers were taking before the
outbreaks to minimize transmission of infectious agents between
monkeys and humans. "Presumably there would be some pretty careful
measures in place that would limit human exposure to any contaminant
or pathogen," she says, "so saying that humans are not susceptible to
me seems premature."
[Byline: David Cyranoski]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The above article adds some clarity to the translated data included
in our previous postings. However, some details remain unpublished,
particularly the identity of the "6 bacteria and 16 viruses" and the
toxins which are claimed to have been excluded by the applied tests. - Mod.AS]
******
[2]
Date: Fri 16 Jul 2010
Source: Chunichi Shimbun [Trans. from Japanese, edited]
<http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010071690091309.html>
KUPRI decided to kill some monkeys in affected cages
-----------------------------------------------------
KUPRI, Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute in Inuyama,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, decided to stepwisely kill some monkeys held
in the same cages where death occurred earlier.
Hirohisa Hirai, deputy director of the Institute, said on Thursday
[16 Jul 2010]: "We said to JMC [see commentary] that their demands
could not be accepted. If all [potentially exposed] monkeys are
eliminated, we shall not be able to discover the cause of the
disease. To contain infection, we intend to kill contacted individuals."
Akira Katoh, director of World Primate Zoo [WPZ; see commentary],
said: "we thought it was important to eliminate all ["down to zero"]
monkeys in the Institute and told them so."
In addition to the 2 close facilities [JMC and WPZ], KUPRI is also
surrounded by a forest which is the habitat of wild monkeys.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[KUPRI has been recently exposed to demands to undertake severe
biosecurity measures, including culling of all its (800) primates, by
2 adjacent institutions: the 'Japan Monkey Centre (JMC)', dealing
with primate research, conservation and education, and the 'World
Primate Zoo (WPZ)', a zoological garden specialising in primates,
which exhibits about 650 individuals of more than 70 species of
living primates. WPZ is regarded as the world's largest collection. - Mod.AS]
Date: Tue 13 Jul 2010
Source: Nature 466, 302-303 (2010) [edited]
<http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100713/full/466302a.html>
Japanese monkey deaths puzzle
------------------------------
Scientists from Japan's premier primate research centre are
struggling to reassure the public that a mysterious illness killing
their monkeys poses no threat to humans. Almost a decade after it 1st
appeared, scientists from Kyoto University's Primate Research
Institute (PRI) [also abbreviated KUPRI] described the disease and
their unsuccessful search for a cause in an online publication on 1
Jul 2010 and in a press release on 7 Jul 2010. But their account
leaves other researchers hungry for details.
In the 1st outbreak to hit the PRI in Inuyama, near Nagoya, between
July 2001 and July 2002, 7 Japanese macaques (_Macaca fuscata_) fell
ill and 6 of them died from what the institute scientists
provisionally call a 'haemorrhagic syndrome.' Symptoms included
anorexia, lethargy, pallor and nasal haemorrhaging. Autopsies
revealed bleeding in the lungs and intestines. Genetic, bacterial and
toxicological tests failed to pinpoint a cause, and after the
outbreak ran its course, operations at the institute returned to
normal. But between March 2008 and April 2010, another 39 cases
appeared in the same species. Of those, 25 died of the disease and 13
were humanely killed. Only one monkey survived each outbreak.
On 1 Jul 2010, an institute committee set up after the 2nd outbreak
published its findings in the online version of the Japanese-language
journal Primate Research (Kyoto University Primate Research Institute
Disease Control Committee Primate Res. 26, 69-71; 2010). The
committee tested blood, faeces and tissues from the diseased monkeys
for 6 bacteria and 16 viruses. The tests, which included PCR
analysis, turned up nothing that could explain the deaths. Francois
Villinger, director of pathology at the Yerkes National Primate
Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says that Japanese laboratories
tend to have excellent diagnostic capabilities: "Therefore I have
confidence in the fact that the illness is probably not due to any of
the known agents inducing haemorrhagic fevers."
PRI director Tetsuro Matsuzawa spoke out against suggestions in the
local media that the disease could spread to humans or other animals.
At the 7 Jul 2010 press conference, he stressed that none of the
other primate species at the institute, which houses more than 1200
animals from 13 species, including chimpanzees, marmosets and
crab-eating macaques, has contracted the syndrome. The humans who
handled the monkeys also show no symptoms. "I don't like the
headlines in the news media," he says. "We think that the
haemorrhagic syndrome is due to a species-specific pathogen of the
Japanese monkeys."
Matsuzawa says that the institute did not publish its findings
earlier because it feared causing panic in the wider population.
Cases are still occurring, but following the use of disinfectants and
the isolation of sick monkeys, the pace has slowed to one case in May
and one in June. Matsuzawa is holding back some data for a more
detailed future publication and would not answer Nature's questions
about whether his group is also probing possible environmental
causes, which bacteria and viruses have been tested for, and what
analysis of the 2 surviving monkeys has revealed.
By screening the 790 remaining Japanese macaques for other viruses
and bacteria and running genetic tests, Matsuzawa hopes to pin down
the cause of the syndrome and to create a test for early diagnosis.
He says that he is looking for collaborators, and animal-pathogen
researchers contacted by Nature are certainly eager to learn more
about the illness. Primate disease specialist Sonia Altizer of the
University of Georgia in Athens wonders whether any of the animals
were recently captured in the wild, where they could have picked up
the infection, and whether animals were housed singly or in groups.
"Knowing the possible contacts between animals and the chronological
pattern of illness or deaths might also help determine whether this
was indeed an infectious agent, and the possible routes of
transmission," she says.
She also asks what measures the human workers were taking before the
outbreaks to minimize transmission of infectious agents between
monkeys and humans. "Presumably there would be some pretty careful
measures in place that would limit human exposure to any contaminant
or pathogen," she says, "so saying that humans are not susceptible to
me seems premature."
[Byline: David Cyranoski]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The above article adds some clarity to the translated data included
in our previous postings. However, some details remain unpublished,
particularly the identity of the "6 bacteria and 16 viruses" and the
toxins which are claimed to have been excluded by the applied tests. - Mod.AS]
******
[2]
Date: Fri 16 Jul 2010
Source: Chunichi Shimbun [Trans. from Japanese, edited]
<http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010071690091309.html>
KUPRI decided to kill some monkeys in affected cages
-----------------------------------------------------
KUPRI, Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute in Inuyama,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, decided to stepwisely kill some monkeys held
in the same cages where death occurred earlier.
Hirohisa Hirai, deputy director of the Institute, said on Thursday
[16 Jul 2010]: "We said to JMC [see commentary] that their demands
could not be accepted. If all [potentially exposed] monkeys are
eliminated, we shall not be able to discover the cause of the
disease. To contain infection, we intend to kill contacted individuals."
Akira Katoh, director of World Primate Zoo [WPZ; see commentary],
said: "we thought it was important to eliminate all ["down to zero"]
monkeys in the Institute and told them so."
In addition to the 2 close facilities [JMC and WPZ], KUPRI is also
surrounded by a forest which is the habitat of wild monkeys.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[KUPRI has been recently exposed to demands to undertake severe
biosecurity measures, including culling of all its (800) primates, by
2 adjacent institutions: the 'Japan Monkey Centre (JMC)', dealing
with primate research, conservation and education, and the 'World
Primate Zoo (WPZ)', a zoological garden specialising in primates,
which exhibits about 650 individuals of more than 70 species of
living primates. WPZ is regarded as the world's largest collection. - Mod.AS]
Sukoharjo | DKK: Residents positive Menjing AI
By Beautiful Septiyaning on July 17, 2010
Sukoharjo (Espos), District Health Office (DKK) Sukoharjo ensure one resident Menjing Hamlet, Kayuapak, Polokarto who died recently of positive bird flu or avian influenza (AI).
Previously, residents who died in Dr Solo Moewardi Hospital recently with the initials of the PA is only expressed as a suspect. However, after the lab results came out, the relevant fact bird flu positive.
DKK Sukoharjo head, Dr. Agus Prihatmo said, had just received the lab results. "It turned out positive results. So it's not a suspect anymore unless 12 other people suspected of having ilness like influenza (ILI), but after a check lab, it turns out they were suffering from dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), "he said when met reporters, Saturday (17 / 7).
With the release of the results of these laboratory checks, Agus added, it would further tighten control of border regions.
Sukoharjo (Espos), District Health Office (DKK) Sukoharjo ensure one resident Menjing Hamlet, Kayuapak, Polokarto who died recently of positive bird flu or avian influenza (AI).
Previously, residents who died in Dr Solo Moewardi Hospital recently with the initials of the PA is only expressed as a suspect. However, after the lab results came out, the relevant fact bird flu positive.
DKK Sukoharjo head, Dr. Agus Prihatmo said, had just received the lab results. "It turned out positive results. So it's not a suspect anymore unless 12 other people suspected of having ilness like influenza (ILI), but after a check lab, it turns out they were suffering from dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), "he said when met reporters, Saturday (17 / 7).
With the release of the results of these laboratory checks, Agus added, it would further tighten control of border regions.
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