09/01/2011
MANILA, Philippines - There are no plans yet to release a travel advisory to China and Vietnam amid the new avian flu virus scare.
Eric Tayag, chief of the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center, said only those who have been exposed to livestock infected with the mutant H5N1 virus are the only ones prone to get the disease.
As such, President Benigno Aquino III and his entourage do not need to undergo quarantine since they will not be exposed to poultry.
Aquino is in China for a state visit. He will be back on Saturday.
Tayag noted the Philippines is now on its 8th year of being bird flu-free.
Still, the thermal screenings in airports are always activated for flu monitoring for any disease, not only on bird flu.
He reiterated that there is an animal-to-human transmission of the virus so far. There is no case yet of person-to-person transmission.
If ever a person gets infected of the disease, he cannot transfer it to another person.
The H5N1 virus is deadlier than the original H1N1 virus and even dengue. In a span of only two days, a patient can die of the disease, according to experts. – By Sol Aragones, ABS-CBN News
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Keeping bird flu at bay a tough challenge
2011-09-01
BEIJING - China faces a tough challenge if it wants to curb a regional outbreak of bird flu in the coming autumn and winter, said the nation's top veterinarian Yu Kangzhen on Wednesday.
The chance for a large-scale outbreak, however, remains quite slim, he said.
Yu made the remarks following a warning from the United Nations of a possible return of the deadly avian influenza epidemic, as a mutation of the H5N1 strain that can apparently sidestep defenses of existing vaccines was spreading in China and Vietnam.
"Since February 2009, China has reported zero bird flu outbreaks and the agriculture and health authorities are constantly on high alert of potential bird flu epidemics among poultry and humans," he told China Daily in a written statement.
But the virus has been detected sporadically among wild birds and in certain areas among farmed poultry, he admitted. "Also, mutations of the virus have been detected in the poultry."
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture ordered further heightened surveillance of the potentially deadly virus and made plans in the event of outbreaks, he said.
Since 2004, China has seen 50 cases of bird flu involving poultry on the mainland, with 31 in 2005 alone, official statistics show.
Authorities have set up a comprehensive mechanism to contain the virus, combining mass vaccination of poultry and timely culling of the infected.
"Based on results from surveillance, poultry on the mainland is basically safe from bird flu infections," Yu said.
So far this year, nearly 2.5 million samples have been tested for the virus and a mass vaccination against the virus will soon kick off on poultry farms nationwide, he added.
As precautions, quarantine efforts, particularly on the borders, will be further beefed up to avert any imported cases, he said.
Previously, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said bird migrations over the past two years had brought H5N1 to countries that had been virus-free for several years, including Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.
Worse, the mutant strains posed unpredictable risks to human health, the organization warned.
Shu Yuelong, director of the National Influenza Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told China Daily that the virus actually has been constantly mutating among poultry.
"But so far no evidence has showed that the mutant strains could jump easier from birds to humans," he said.
"The possibility of major outbreaks of human bird flu can be basically ruled out and there is no need to worry," he added.
Since 2003, H5N1 has infected 565 people worldwide, killing 331, according to the World Health Organization. A 6-year-old Cambodian girl died on Aug 14 from bird flu, the eighth person to die from H5N1 avian influenza this year in the country.
China Daily
BEIJING - China faces a tough challenge if it wants to curb a regional outbreak of bird flu in the coming autumn and winter, said the nation's top veterinarian Yu Kangzhen on Wednesday.
The chance for a large-scale outbreak, however, remains quite slim, he said.
Yu made the remarks following a warning from the United Nations of a possible return of the deadly avian influenza epidemic, as a mutation of the H5N1 strain that can apparently sidestep defenses of existing vaccines was spreading in China and Vietnam.
"Since February 2009, China has reported zero bird flu outbreaks and the agriculture and health authorities are constantly on high alert of potential bird flu epidemics among poultry and humans," he told China Daily in a written statement.
But the virus has been detected sporadically among wild birds and in certain areas among farmed poultry, he admitted. "Also, mutations of the virus have been detected in the poultry."
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture ordered further heightened surveillance of the potentially deadly virus and made plans in the event of outbreaks, he said.
Since 2004, China has seen 50 cases of bird flu involving poultry on the mainland, with 31 in 2005 alone, official statistics show.
Authorities have set up a comprehensive mechanism to contain the virus, combining mass vaccination of poultry and timely culling of the infected.
"Based on results from surveillance, poultry on the mainland is basically safe from bird flu infections," Yu said.
So far this year, nearly 2.5 million samples have been tested for the virus and a mass vaccination against the virus will soon kick off on poultry farms nationwide, he added.
As precautions, quarantine efforts, particularly on the borders, will be further beefed up to avert any imported cases, he said.
Previously, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said bird migrations over the past two years had brought H5N1 to countries that had been virus-free for several years, including Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.
Worse, the mutant strains posed unpredictable risks to human health, the organization warned.
Shu Yuelong, director of the National Influenza Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told China Daily that the virus actually has been constantly mutating among poultry.
"But so far no evidence has showed that the mutant strains could jump easier from birds to humans," he said.
"The possibility of major outbreaks of human bird flu can be basically ruled out and there is no need to worry," he added.
Since 2003, H5N1 has infected 565 people worldwide, killing 331, according to the World Health Organization. A 6-year-old Cambodian girl died on Aug 14 from bird flu, the eighth person to die from H5N1 avian influenza this year in the country.
China Daily
Vietnam: Prepares to import 60 mil. doses of vaccine for Poultry in South - won't be effect. on new strain
[It seems they are preparing 60 million doses of a vaccine that doesn't work again the new strain. The new mutant strain is not yet in the South of Vietnam]
Enter the 60 million doses of flu vaccine for poultry vaccination phase two
Wednesday, 31/08/2011
Excerpt:
* Peace replicate this model according to the Safety Department of Animal Health Disease, bird flu, blue ear disease, foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been basically controlled the whole country. However, in the last two weeks, has generated a new epidemic in Nghe An and Quang Tri in FMD appeared of Nghe An and Quang Ngai. The risk of disease outbreaks in livestock and poultry is very high in the near future.
For prevention and control, Veterinary Department continued to coordinate bird flu vaccine for the southern province of vaccination. Up to now, has provided 45 million doses of 50 million doses of H5N1 vaccine-Re5 imported and prepare import 60 million doses of vaccine for bird flu vaccination drive in two southern provinces.
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=vi&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dc%25C3%25BAm%2Bgia%2Bc%25E1%25BA%25A7m%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DHWk%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%253Aen-US%253Aofficial%26num%3D10%26lr%3D%26ft%3Di%26cr%3D%26safe%3Dimages%26tbs%3D%2Cqdr%3Ad
From our July 18th article:
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/vietnam-h5n1-virus-clade-232-appears.html
Enter the 60 million doses of flu vaccine for poultry vaccination phase two
Wednesday, 31/08/2011
Excerpt:
* Peace replicate this model according to the Safety Department of Animal Health Disease, bird flu, blue ear disease, foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been basically controlled the whole country. However, in the last two weeks, has generated a new epidemic in Nghe An and Quang Tri in FMD appeared of Nghe An and Quang Ngai. The risk of disease outbreaks in livestock and poultry is very high in the near future.
For prevention and control, Veterinary Department continued to coordinate bird flu vaccine for the southern province of vaccination. Up to now, has provided 45 million doses of 50 million doses of H5N1 vaccine-Re5 imported and prepare import 60 million doses of vaccine for bird flu vaccination drive in two southern provinces.
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=vi&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dc%25C3%25BAm%2Bgia%2Bc%25E1%25BA%25A7m%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DHWk%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%253Aen-US%253Aofficial%26num%3D10%26lr%3D%26ft%3Di%26cr%3D%26safe%3Dimages%26tbs%3D%2Cqdr%3Ad
From our July 18th article:
More worryingly, the experimental results of the Veterinary Department of the validity of the H5N1 vaccine-Re5 shows the effect of protection against new virus is very low branches, almost no effect. The bird flu vaccine used in our country mainly imports, which, mostly from China. To prevent avian influenza virus clade 2.3.2 This new branch, at present, China is studying the H5N1 vaccine-Re6, but so far no experimental results.
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/vietnam-h5n1-virus-clade-232-appears.html
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
variant of bird flu in Vietnam fear the spread of Asian
2011-09-01 07:51
(Vietnam News ‧ Hanoi on the 31st) the Director of the disease in Vietnam Weisheng Bu Wendeng chess today confirmed the recent poultry in northern Vietnam found the virus variants.
He said, especially in the province of Phu Tho, experts have found more virulent new virus H5N1-2.3.2.1, Vietnam Veterinary Bureau is the ability to test new anti-drug vaccine, if fully implemented and effective on the play.
‧Phu Tho Province, about 60 kilometers from the capital, Hanoi.
..
He said that as southern China and northern Vietnam, frequent interaction, so these two areas of FAO will issue a warning; He stressed that there is no threat found in Thailand, Korea and Japan, the trend, but still close observation.
More likely fatal?
The more notice missed WHO
For the H5N1 avian influenza virus mutants emerged in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Vice Minister Cheng Weisheng Bu military said that at present have not received the World Health Organization (WHO) official notice that the mutant virus than the original virus more lethal to humans .
Feijia strong warning against the invasion
As the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus strain variants there are signs of the spread in Asia, the Philippine government has been on alert to prevent bird flu virus invasion of the Philippines.
Waldorf in the Philippines Presidential deputy spokesman said Wednesday, the Philippines has not yet heard the case of H5N1 virus infection cases, but Nongye Bu has increased vigilance, monitoring the movement of the H5N1 virus, while the entry point in the tight checks.
Hong Kong virologist on Tuesday warned that scientists still do not determine whether the human H5N1-2.3.2.1 more lethal, is also no vaccine can be prevented by strict monitoring of all walks of life called bird flu, so as not to spread to humans.
(Vietnam News ‧ Hanoi on the 31st) the Director of the disease in Vietnam Weisheng Bu Wendeng chess today confirmed the recent poultry in northern Vietnam found the virus variants.
He said, especially in the province of Phu Tho, experts have found more virulent new virus H5N1-2.3.2.1, Vietnam Veterinary Bureau is the ability to test new anti-drug vaccine, if fully implemented and effective on the play.
‧Phu Tho Province, about 60 kilometers from the capital, Hanoi.
..
He said that as southern China and northern Vietnam, frequent interaction, so these two areas of FAO will issue a warning; He stressed that there is no threat found in Thailand, Korea and Japan, the trend, but still close observation.
More likely fatal?
The more notice missed WHO
For the H5N1 avian influenza virus mutants emerged in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Vice Minister Cheng Weisheng Bu military said that at present have not received the World Health Organization (WHO) official notice that the mutant virus than the original virus more lethal to humans .
Feijia strong warning against the invasion
As the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus strain variants there are signs of the spread in Asia, the Philippine government has been on alert to prevent bird flu virus invasion of the Philippines.
Waldorf in the Philippines Presidential deputy spokesman said Wednesday, the Philippines has not yet heard the case of H5N1 virus infection cases, but Nongye Bu has increased vigilance, monitoring the movement of the H5N1 virus, while the entry point in the tight checks.
Hong Kong virologist on Tuesday warned that scientists still do not determine whether the human H5N1-2.3.2.1 more lethal, is also no vaccine can be prevented by strict monitoring of all walks of life called bird flu, so as not to spread to humans.
Vietnam to test dengue fever vaccine on children
Last updated: 8/30/2011 16:15
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A nurse takes care of dengue fever patients at Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital No.1. |
The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City is going to test dengue fever vaccines at two Mekong Delta’s towns in September, following safe experiments on humans worldwide, the institute chief has said.
Doctor Tran Ngoc Huu, head of the institute and chairman of the research project, told the Tuoi Tre recently that dengue fever has been causing the most deaths and the third highest number of infections among 28 popular infectious diseases in Vietnam.
Figures from the Ministry of Health showed that Vietnam has reported around 30,000 dengue fever infections in Vietnam during the first eight months this year, mostly in the central and southern regions.
Experiment for the vaccine will be done on 1,402 children in Long Xuyen of An Giang Province and 934 in My Tho of Tien Giang Province.
Huu said the participants range in age between two to 14 years old, are healthy and join in the research voluntarily with their parents' agreement.
After the experiment, which is the last stage of the project, the vaccine will be assessed for its effectiveness and the research will be presented to authorities before wide use of the vaccine, he said.
Huu said that the vaccine, currently named as Dengue-CYD, was produced and has been studied for around 20 years by France-based Sanofi Pasteur, which has provided several vaccines being used in Vietnam.
The vaccine has been studied in 13 countries including the US and Australia, and in both infected and uninfected countries, he said.
After trials on animals, experiments on more than 6,200 people between one and 45 years of age have shown that the vaccine is safe and caused similar side effects like other vaccines in use such as swelling, redness and pain at the injection spot, fever and headache, the doctor said.
He also confirmed that the experiment result from each country is only announced after the result has been looked over by the National Council of Ethics on Human Research.
However, Huu said that the vaccine is not used widely in any country yet.
The doctor said Sanofi Pasteur has promised to sell the vaccine to Vietnam’s Ministry of Health at good price.
He said the vaccine will be widely used no sooner than 2014.
Experts called on the avian flu virus mutations prevent
2011 August 30 22:30:06
Hong Kong virologist warned today that no vaccine can prevent the spread of the territory of China and Vietnam is the H5N1 avian influenza virus mutants, and called for strict monitoring of all sectors of bird flu, so as not to spread to humans.
Although scientists are not currently determine whether the virus more lethal to humans, but they say that this mutant and the original virus were sufficiently different to make human use against the original H5N1 virus strain of the vaccine for its failure.
University of Hong Kong's top virologist Peres (Malik Peiris), said: "There are one kind of human H5N1 candidate vaccine, World Health Organization (WHO) recommended, but it can not completely control this mutant, but this situation is not uncommon because the H5 virus constantly changes, and we also need to develop new vaccines to the light. "
FAO said yesterday, H5N1 avian flu new variant is spreading within China and Vietnam, and the current vaccine is clearly unable to control this variation. FAO warned that bird flu may be "massive relapse."
Guangdong Provincial Health Department: unexplained illnesses must be reported within 2 hours
201 2011-08-31 07:56:00
Found that the plague, cholera, avian flu or unexplained disease outbreaks, the hospital must be reported within 2 hours through the network. Guangdong Provincial Health Department recently released "Report of Guangdong Province, health surveillance of infectious diseases" and 5 guidelines, called on all localities to regulate and strengthen supervision of infectious diseases.
Guangdong Province reported infectious diseases in accordance with health supervision guidelines, the relevant departments of medical institutions should have a "department of infectious diseases register."
Found in Group B infectious diseases and pulmonary anthrax, SARS, polio, highly pathogenic avian influenza cases or suspected cases, or find other infectious diseases and unexplained disease outbreaks should be within 2 hours to report infectious disease report cards through the network; no direct reporting responsibility to implement the network reporting unit should be within 2 hours with the fastest means of communication (telephone, fax) to the local county-level disease prevention and control report and sent out within 2 hours of report cards of infectious diseases.
The other B and C class infectious disease patients, and to report the suspected patients of infectious pathogen carrier in the diagnosis, direct reporting responsibility for the implementation of network reporting unit should be reported within 24 hours of the network; no direct reporting responsibility to implement the network reports units should be sent out within 24 hours of report cards of infectious diseases. Responsibility Report and the report were the fastest means of communication units to escalation. Meet public health emergencies should be reported within 2 hours
Australia: Newcastle strain of mutant swine flu
September 01, 2011
Hunter New England Health says a drug-resistant mutant strain of swine flu has been detected in the Newcastle region, the largest outbreak reported worldwide.
The World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Influenza in Melbourne found 14 per cent of the flu samples taken from the local region this winter were resistant to the drug Tamiflu, which is used to ease flu symptoms.
However, it appears the virus is not particularly severe, as there were no deaths among the 25 people infected and none were admitted to an intensive care unit.
Public Health physician Doctor Craig Dalton says it is not yet clear why the mutant strain has appeared in the Newcastle region.
"We're looking at the cases and we can't find anything particularly eliminating at this stage," he said.
"These people had not received Tamiflu prior to the collection of the specimen, so that means they didn't get the anti-viral treatment and then develop resistance.
"They'd obviously been infected with a strain that was already resistant to Tamiflu."
Continued {click on title for full story]
Hunter New England Health says a drug-resistant mutant strain of swine flu has been detected in the Newcastle region, the largest outbreak reported worldwide.
The World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Influenza in Melbourne found 14 per cent of the flu samples taken from the local region this winter were resistant to the drug Tamiflu, which is used to ease flu symptoms.
However, it appears the virus is not particularly severe, as there were no deaths among the 25 people infected and none were admitted to an intensive care unit.
Public Health physician Doctor Craig Dalton says it is not yet clear why the mutant strain has appeared in the Newcastle region.
"We're looking at the cases and we can't find anything particularly eliminating at this stage," he said.
"These people had not received Tamiflu prior to the collection of the specimen, so that means they didn't get the anti-viral treatment and then develop resistance.
"They'd obviously been infected with a strain that was already resistant to Tamiflu."
Continued {click on title for full story]
Bird flu flies back into the news
- 08:00 31 August 2011
Millions of ducks are flying south from Siberia this week, and some are carrying a virus that could lead to a resurgence of H5N1 bird flu in poultry – and people – across Eurasia.
"We're issuing an alert because we expect in the coming weeks to see the virus pop up in unexpected places across a wide area," says Jan Slingenbergh, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's early warning system for animal diseases.
H5N1 has cost poultry farmers an estimated $20 billion so far. It has also infected 565 people, of whom 331 died. Virologists are trying to discover the mutations that could enable H5N1 to spread between people and go pandemic.
Dominant strain
The FAO is concerned about a strain of H5N1, called 2.3.2.1, which has been circulating for several years but is now emerging as dominant in birds in Asia.
It is no more virulent than previous strains but it is well adapted to many wild migratory species, so the virus has been carried to countries where H5N1 had been eliminated from poultry, including Bulgaria, Romania and Israel.
H5N1 outbreaks in poultry peaked in 2006, with 4000 across Eurasia and Africa. Extensive culling and vaccination quelled the virus, and by 2008 there were just 302 outbreaks. With the spread of 2.3.2.1, outbreaks are back on the rise. Some samples of the strain in China and Vietnam show its continuing evolution.
"The more cases you get in birds, the more it might spill over into humans," says Slingenbergh.
WHO, OIE downplay importance of new H5N1 variant
Robert Roos 
Aug 31, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) took pains today to downplay the significance of a new H5N1 avian influenza variant that another major international organization warned about this week.
In an Aug 29 statement, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said a new H5N1 strain called clade 2.3.2.1 had emerged recently in Vietnam and China and that existing poultry vaccines were ineffective against it. The statement also cited recent increases in H5N1 bird outbreaks and warned about a possible major resurgence of the virus.
The WHO said today that its Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System recognized the H5N1 variant in February. "Based on available information, this evolution of the H5N1 virus poses no increased risk to public health," the WHO statement said. "It is not considered unusual because influenza viruses are constantly evolving, especially in areas where they circulate regularly in poultry."
The agency further said clade 2.3.2.1 does not change the public health implications of H5N1 viruses, given the available information. "Human cases of H5N1 infection remain rare and sporadic events, occurring mostly in areas where H5N1 viruses circulate regularly in poultry," the statement said.
The OIE made similar points in a statement today. It said the emergence of clade 2.3.2.1 is a result of minor genetic changes that typify the natural evolution of the virus.
"This is not immediate cause for alert but, as with the emergence of any new strain, reinforces the need for sustained monitoring of viruses in animal populations so that changes in viruses circulating in the field are detected at an earliest stage and that most appropriate disease control strategies are chosen to best protect animal and public health, the OIE said.
The agency also commented that avian flu vaccines, like human flu vaccines, need to be tested regularly to see if they are effective against the viruses in circulation. The OIE reference laboratory in Harbin, China, has developed a vaccine that, in trials, has protected poultry from clade 2.3.2.1, the statement said. Once available for field use, the vaccine will be employed in countries where the new variant has been identified.
"Registration and manufacturing of a poultry vaccine with the new seed strain is in progress," the OIE said.
Meanwhile, a clade 2.3.2.1 virus caused the illness of a 59-year-old Hong Kong woman who contracted an H5N1 infection last November, probably while traveling in mainland China, according to a report today by The Standard, a Hong Kong newspaper. The story cited Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) as the source of the information.
Hong Kong health officials said at the time that the virus in the woman's case belonged to clade 2.3.2. She recovered from her illness, according to online information from the CHP.
Romania: Bird Flu H5N1 Alert News
2 Articles
All Excerpts.
August 31, 2011
It spreads a mutant form of bird flu - UN warns
A known microbiologist Hugh Pennington said that "while there is still no certainty that bird flu has mutated so that it is transmitted from person to person, there is a" reasonable speculation "that has become resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug used in Britain in fighting the virus. "
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ro&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.financiarul.ro/2011/08/31/se-raspandeste-o-forma-mutanta-a-gripei-aviare-avertizeaza-onu/&usg=ALkJrhgDXOrkHgQzCwMBl36imW6KXv_ZrA
August 31, 2011
Food and Agriculture Organization warns bird flu could recur
Millions of ducks flying in Siberia this week, and some carry a virus that could lead to the reappearance of H5N1 influenza, or flu, in birds and humans in Eurasia.
"We issue an alert because the next few weeks we expect the appearance of virus in unexpected places across a wide area," said Jan Slingenbergh, head of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
"As more cases occur in birds, much more will be spread to humans," said Slingenbergh.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ro&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.green-report.ro/stiri/organizatia-pentru-alimentatie-si-agricultura-avertizeaza-gripa-aviara-ar-putea-sa-reapara&usg=ALkJrhjOTHv_3cf4eP2LBCUVNVWldRuJsA
All Excerpts.
August 31, 2011
It spreads a mutant form of bird flu - UN warns
A known microbiologist Hugh Pennington said that "while there is still no certainty that bird flu has mutated so that it is transmitted from person to person, there is a" reasonable speculation "that has become resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug used in Britain in fighting the virus. "
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ro&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.financiarul.ro/2011/08/31/se-raspandeste-o-forma-mutanta-a-gripei-aviare-avertizeaza-onu/&usg=ALkJrhgDXOrkHgQzCwMBl36imW6KXv_ZrA
August 31, 2011
Food and Agriculture Organization warns bird flu could recur
Millions of ducks flying in Siberia this week, and some carry a virus that could lead to the reappearance of H5N1 influenza, or flu, in birds and humans in Eurasia.
"We issue an alert because the next few weeks we expect the appearance of virus in unexpected places across a wide area," said Jan Slingenbergh, head of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
"As more cases occur in birds, much more will be spread to humans," said Slingenbergh.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ro&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.green-report.ro/stiri/organizatia-pentru-alimentatie-si-agricultura-avertizeaza-gripa-aviara-ar-putea-sa-reapara&usg=ALkJrhjOTHv_3cf4eP2LBCUVNVWldRuJsA
New Delhi: Government ready to deal with Berdflu
01 Sep, 2011
New Delhi: Food and Agriculture Organization (Afao) again Falne bird flu in Asia in the wake of warnings by the government today said that avian influenza is fully prepared to deal with bird flu.
Here,''said an official statement on avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, the new and deadly strain of Mutant Afao report in respect of the warning has come. The government has taken seriously the warning of Afao and is ready for any situation.''
Before the bird flu Afao Falne warned about the possibility. Afao's Chief Veterinary - Medical officer,''said Yuan Lubrath Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam have the most problems, but no country is safe. ''
New Delhi: Food and Agriculture Organization (Afao) again Falne bird flu in Asia in the wake of warnings by the government today said that avian influenza is fully prepared to deal with bird flu.
Here,''said an official statement on avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, the new and deadly strain of Mutant Afao report in respect of the warning has come. The government has taken seriously the warning of Afao and is ready for any situation.''
Before the bird flu Afao Falne warned about the possibility. Afao's Chief Veterinary - Medical officer,''said Yuan Lubrath Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam have the most problems, but no country is safe. ''
UK-Wales: Warning from UN over new strain of bird flu H5N1
Aug 31 2011
Excerpt:
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation called on countries to adopt “heightened readiness and surveillance” against a resurgence of the virus.
Juan Lubroth, FAO chief veterinary officer, said: “Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people’s actions in poultry production and marketing spread it.”
In the past two years, avian flu has appeared in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for some years.
Dr Roland Salmon, the director of Public Health Wales’ communicable disease surveillance centre, said the development of a mutant, vaccine-resistant strain of bird flu should not cause alarm.
“I don’t think this has a great deal of human health implications.
“Any problem that you’re likely to see in Britain is almost certainly going to kick off among British poultry, rather than among humans.
“You’re not going to suddenly get 50 people in Britain infected with bird flu, but you might get a flock of birds here infected,” he said.
Excerpt:
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation called on countries to adopt “heightened readiness and surveillance” against a resurgence of the virus.
Juan Lubroth, FAO chief veterinary officer, said: “Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people’s actions in poultry production and marketing spread it.”
In the past two years, avian flu has appeared in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for some years.
Dr Roland Salmon, the director of Public Health Wales’ communicable disease surveillance centre, said the development of a mutant, vaccine-resistant strain of bird flu should not cause alarm.
“I don’t think this has a great deal of human health implications.
“Any problem that you’re likely to see in Britain is almost certainly going to kick off among British poultry, rather than among humans.
“You’re not going to suddenly get 50 people in Britain infected with bird flu, but you might get a flock of birds here infected,” he said.
Philippines Warns Populace on H5N1 Mutation, Malaysia Brushes News Off
3 Articles:
August 31, 2011
DA on alert against bird flu-infected products
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) today assured that it is already implementing precautionary measures to prevent the entry of the deadly bird flu virus into the Philippines.
DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said in a radio interview that he has ordered the deployment of personnel in points of entry in the country to prevent the transport of infected chicken and other poultry products that may be affected by the deadly H5N1 virus.
Alcala said that he has also alerted the National Meat Inspection Service and the Bureau of Animal Industry.
-snip-
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=722404&publicationSubCategoryId=200
08/31/2011
DOH: New bird flu strain deadlier
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health has warned the public of the threat of a new strain of bird flu virus, the H5N1.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, said there are now cases of the new strain in China and Vietnam.
H1N1 can be transmitted from one human to another, but H5N1 can be transmitted from an animal to human.
While there are no cases of death due to H1N1 last year, the new strain is another matter. The mutant H5N1 has a 60% mortality rate. This means 6 out of 10 patients die of the disease.
Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH National Epidemiology Center, said 8 persons in Cambodia who were infected with the bird flu virus have died.
Lee Suy stressed the Philippines is still free of any bird flu cases. The country has banned the importation of livestock that are coming from countries with bird flu cases.
He said, however, that the threat is still there since there is a possibility for the smuggled livestock to enter the country.
Tayag also said migratory birds usually come in October.
He also warned those who own a poultry to take extra precaution because of the animal to human transmission of the disease “Pwedeng mahawa yung mga pumapatay ng hayop, nag-aalaga ng hayop at nagtatanggal ng balahibo, dahil droplets ang virus na ito.”
Some of the symptoms of H5N1 are cough, colds and fever. In severe cases, the lungs are affected and if not treated early, it can lead to death.
The Philippine Inter-agency Committee on Zoonoses, which includes the DOH, The Bureau of Animal Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will meet on Friday to discuss the matter.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/31/11/doh-new-bird-flu-strain-deadlier
August 31, 2011
Malaysia brushes off bird flu warning
MALAYSIA has brushed off a warning by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) about a resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus and a new mutant strain.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted in the New Straits Times today as saying that the country remained vigilant about the H5N1 virus but no new cases had been reported.
"The public should not worry. We will let them know about the latest developments on the virus," he was quoted as saying.
An aide confirmed his comments.
-snip-
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/malaysia-brushes-off-bird-flu-warning/story-e6frf7jx-1226126532483
August 31, 2011
DA on alert against bird flu-infected products
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) today assured that it is already implementing precautionary measures to prevent the entry of the deadly bird flu virus into the Philippines.
DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said in a radio interview that he has ordered the deployment of personnel in points of entry in the country to prevent the transport of infected chicken and other poultry products that may be affected by the deadly H5N1 virus.
Alcala said that he has also alerted the National Meat Inspection Service and the Bureau of Animal Industry.
-snip-
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=722404&publicationSubCategoryId=200
08/31/2011
DOH: New bird flu strain deadlier
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health has warned the public of the threat of a new strain of bird flu virus, the H5N1.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, said there are now cases of the new strain in China and Vietnam.
H1N1 can be transmitted from one human to another, but H5N1 can be transmitted from an animal to human.
While there are no cases of death due to H1N1 last year, the new strain is another matter. The mutant H5N1 has a 60% mortality rate. This means 6 out of 10 patients die of the disease.
Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH National Epidemiology Center, said 8 persons in Cambodia who were infected with the bird flu virus have died.
Lee Suy stressed the Philippines is still free of any bird flu cases. The country has banned the importation of livestock that are coming from countries with bird flu cases.
He said, however, that the threat is still there since there is a possibility for the smuggled livestock to enter the country.
Tayag also said migratory birds usually come in October.
He also warned those who own a poultry to take extra precaution because of the animal to human transmission of the disease “Pwedeng mahawa yung mga pumapatay ng hayop, nag-aalaga ng hayop at nagtatanggal ng balahibo, dahil droplets ang virus na ito.”
Some of the symptoms of H5N1 are cough, colds and fever. In severe cases, the lungs are affected and if not treated early, it can lead to death.
The Philippine Inter-agency Committee on Zoonoses, which includes the DOH, The Bureau of Animal Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will meet on Friday to discuss the matter.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/31/11/doh-new-bird-flu-strain-deadlier
August 31, 2011
Malaysia brushes off bird flu warning
MALAYSIA has brushed off a warning by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) about a resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus and a new mutant strain.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted in the New Straits Times today as saying that the country remained vigilant about the H5N1 virus but no new cases had been reported.
"The public should not worry. We will let them know about the latest developments on the virus," he was quoted as saying.
An aide confirmed his comments.
-snip-
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/malaysia-brushes-off-bird-flu-warning/story-e6frf7jx-1226126532483
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
WHO-Evolution of H5N1 avian influenza virus does not increase risk to public health
30 August 2011 -- WHO closely monitors the evolution of influenza viruses and is aware of recent reports of an H5N1 virus (described as H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1) circulating in poultry in parts of Asia. Based on available information, this evolution of the H5N1 virus poses no increased risk to public health. It is not considered unusual because influenza viruses are constantly evolving, especially in areas where they circulate regularly in poultry.
The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, the group of experts that studies animal and human influenza viruses that may impact human health, recognized this new clade in February 2011.
WHO also routinely assesses the public health risk from all animal influenza viruses. Based on available information, the identification of this newly-reported H5N1 virus clade does not change the current public health implications of the H5N1 avian influenza viruses for humans. Human cases of H5N1 infection remain rare and sporadic events, occurring mostly in areas where H5N1 viruses circulate regularly in poultry. Human cases could occur wherever the viruses are present in poultry and when humans might be exposed to infected birds or contaminated environments.
Avian influenza viruses are pandemic mutation probability
2011 -08-31 06:35
Hungary's pharmaceutical laboratories (on) developed and produced to fight avian influenza H5N1 virus vaccine, but the variation of the virus has appeared, the original vaccine is effective remains to be seen. To prevent the spread of bird flu, South Korea, a large number of poultry slaughtered (down).
Headquartered in Rome, FAO issued a statement on August 29 said, any mutation of avian influenza H5N1 virus is being spread in Asia and other places, there may be a serious threat to human health.
Transmission of the virus and the migratory birds
FAO chief veterinary officer rubles Ross pointed out that China and Vietnam the situation deserves attention. Vietnam this spring to stop the vaccination of chickens, has been found in north-central Vietnam, the H5N1 virus variant....
...Ferrari World Health Organization officials in the reporter's telephone interview, said that the current understanding of the situation is that in parts of China and Vietnam has found out that the variation of the virus. As the virus mutate to the original vaccine is still effective, it needs to continue to observe. He believes that China's size and the large number of poultry from bird flu, the Chinese Government attaches great importance. He suggested that the emerging variant virus, should be highly concerned about China..
Prevention and control of the full deployment of China
China's chief veterinarian at the state health shock in the interview with this reporter, said that China has taken note of the Ministry of Agriculture officials on the recent FAO global avian influenza situation and China issued a warning. China has always attached great importance to highly pathogenic avian influenza prevention and control. Through these efforts, the Mainland of China bird flu in poultry epidemic intensity significantly decreased, significantly reduced the frequency of onset, significantly reduced the incidence of the scope of the epidemic is declining.
According to reports from the monitoring results, there are wild birds infected in China phenomenon, in poultry in some areas also detected the virus, the avian flu virus-contaminated surface is still very wide, the phenomenon of virus mutation. However, in autumn and winter, large-scale outbreaks in mainland China are less likely, but the point of the epidemic in some areas like distribution, sustained multiple risk remains significant, regional epidemic prevention task is arduous.
Kang Zhenjiang tune in for the current avian influenza situation, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has made prevention and control work on the autumn and winter full deployment. He said that on the domestic variant strain of bird flu detected the problem, the Ministry of Agriculture has asked the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory and other units continue to follow closely, increased scientific research, strengthen surveillance, prevention and control technologies and reagents to do research work.
(Rome newspaper, Hanoi, Beijing, August 30th)
There are no vaccines against new variants of H5N1
31/08/2011 2:23
From here last year will not keep up production of vaccines against new variants of the virus causing avian influenza H5N1 (H5N1 - 2.3.2.1) and thus the U.S. needs to focus maximum resources to minimize the risk infection from the movement of poultry, especially in border provinces. It is the opinion of the Office of the UN Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) in Vietnam.
Youth has an interview with Mr. John Weaver, Chief Advisor of the FAO office in Vietnam on the issue.
Advisor of the Office of FAO John Weaver
Biggest concern for the H5N1 virus-2.3.2.1 What, sir?
That means the vaccine is not strong enough to resist the new viruses. The reason is that the antigens of the new virus has changed - literally as antibodies produced by the vaccine is no longer able to recognize the "face" of the new virus.
How long to make a vaccine against the new virus?
Using the methods of modern molecular manipulation will help the rapid development of new vaccines appropriate. However, the production and testing of vaccines need a certain time period. I'm afraid to go to next year we can use this new vaccine.
What are the main sources of infection and need to do to reduce this risk?
The preventive measures should focus on limiting the maximum virus spread to both poultry and humans. The path to the virus can spread from bird to bird. Fertilizer, feathers, the transportation and clothing as well as the way to spread viruses.
"The preventive measures should focus on limiting the maximum virus spread to both poultry and humans"
Ducks, chickens and risk is the main source of infection. It is remarkable when infected, they do not have the clinical manifestations and therefore could not be detected. The key when dealing with bird flu in Vietnam is the lack of hygiene and biosecurity on farms, from the purchase of poultry at markets, as well as the slaughterhouses. Need to promote improved processing and trade of poultry.
He recommends that those people directly involved in the process of breeding, slaughter and movement of poultry?
Absolutely isolated birds are breeding with people living in the same area. Upon entering the poultry sector, needs to be replaced immediately shoes, wear protective clothing and hand washing. Not for the purchase of poultry breeding areas into it. No delivery conducted in animal feed and poultry sector. Buy only the native birds and clear origin and separated them in two weeks to ensure they are completely healthy. Report immediately to authorities when birds died or have signs of abnormal health.
For buyers of poultry at markets and slaughterhouses, always wash your body and spray disinfectant.
Mr. Van Register - Head of Epidemiology (Department of Animal Health, MARD) - 8.30 pm for the flu virus in poultry in northern provinces has variations. Phu Tho has found the H5N1 virus - 2.3.2 branch B (FAO called H5N1 virus - 2.3.2.1), the virus appeared in Vietnam. Previously, scientists had identified the virus in poultry in the north. According to States, the new virus has been identified as highly virulent than the virus before. The Veterinary Department is to test the ability of antibodies of the vaccine produced by the U.S., if the meet will be used for mass vaccination.
Quang Duan
Vietnam has not recorded a variant of the H5N1 influenza virus in humans
Prior information about the bird flu virus H5N1 mutating, Wednesday 30/08, Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan said repeatedly over the years, scientists in the country is the study of the variability of this virus but have not been convincing evidence that the H5N1 virus in humans has been transformed into a new strain.
At this point, the U.S. had not received official information from the World Health Organization confirmed the H5N1 influenza virus in humans in Vietnam has changed.
From here last year will not keep up production of vaccines against new variants of the virus causing avian influenza H5N1 (H5N1 - 2.3.2.1) and thus the U.S. needs to focus maximum resources to minimize the risk infection from the movement of poultry, especially in border provinces. It is the opinion of the Office of the UN Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) in Vietnam.
Youth has an interview with Mr. John Weaver, Chief Advisor of the FAO office in Vietnam on the issue.
Advisor of the Office of FAO John Weaver
 |
Biggest concern for the H5N1 virus-2.3.2.1 What, sir?
That means the vaccine is not strong enough to resist the new viruses. The reason is that the antigens of the new virus has changed - literally as antibodies produced by the vaccine is no longer able to recognize the "face" of the new virus.
How long to make a vaccine against the new virus?
Using the methods of modern molecular manipulation will help the rapid development of new vaccines appropriate. However, the production and testing of vaccines need a certain time period. I'm afraid to go to next year we can use this new vaccine.
What are the main sources of infection and need to do to reduce this risk?
The preventive measures should focus on limiting the maximum virus spread to both poultry and humans. The path to the virus can spread from bird to bird. Fertilizer, feathers, the transportation and clothing as well as the way to spread viruses.
"The preventive measures should focus on limiting the maximum virus spread to both poultry and humans"
Ducks, chickens and risk is the main source of infection. It is remarkable when infected, they do not have the clinical manifestations and therefore could not be detected. The key when dealing with bird flu in Vietnam is the lack of hygiene and biosecurity on farms, from the purchase of poultry at markets, as well as the slaughterhouses. Need to promote improved processing and trade of poultry.
He recommends that those people directly involved in the process of breeding, slaughter and movement of poultry?
Absolutely isolated birds are breeding with people living in the same area. Upon entering the poultry sector, needs to be replaced immediately shoes, wear protective clothing and hand washing. Not for the purchase of poultry breeding areas into it. No delivery conducted in animal feed and poultry sector. Buy only the native birds and clear origin and separated them in two weeks to ensure they are completely healthy. Report immediately to authorities when birds died or have signs of abnormal health.
For buyers of poultry at markets and slaughterhouses, always wash your body and spray disinfectant.
Mr. Van Register - Head of Epidemiology (Department of Animal Health, MARD) - 8.30 pm for the flu virus in poultry in northern provinces has variations. Phu Tho has found the H5N1 virus - 2.3.2 branch B (FAO called H5N1 virus - 2.3.2.1), the virus appeared in Vietnam. Previously, scientists had identified the virus in poultry in the north. According to States, the new virus has been identified as highly virulent than the virus before. The Veterinary Department is to test the ability of antibodies of the vaccine produced by the U.S., if the meet will be used for mass vaccination.
Quang Duan
Vietnam has not recorded a variant of the H5N1 influenza virus in humans
Prior information about the bird flu virus H5N1 mutating, Wednesday 30/08, Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan said repeatedly over the years, scientists in the country is the study of the variability of this virus but have not been convincing evidence that the H5N1 virus in humans has been transformed into a new strain.
At this point, the U.S. had not received official information from the World Health Organization confirmed the H5N1 influenza virus in humans in Vietnam has changed.
Bird Flu Warning - WebMD
[This post is by WebMD, and will be helpful to those of you just becoming familiar with Bird Flu H5N1]
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Bird flu is on the rise, warns the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“[It] could mean that there will be a flareup of [bird flu] this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their back yard,” FAO chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth suggested in a news release.
Bird flu, for those who may have forgotten, is the bug that health authorities have been losing sleep over since it first infected humans in 2003. Officially called avian influenza, it’s caused by a virus known as H5N1. True to its name, bird flu has devastated chicken flocks in the 63 countries to which it spread.
There’s a lot of good news. Bird flu has never yet learned to spread easily from person to person. Nearly all human infections have come from close contact with poultry or consumption of raw (not cooked) chicken products. And thanks to drastic culling of infected chicken flocks, bird flu has been eliminated from most of the countries in which it has appeared.
The bad news is that when humans do get the bug, it causes a deadly illness. Of the 565 people known to have been infected, 331 have died — nearly a 60% mortality rate. And, the FAO says, bird flu “is still firmly entrenched” in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
What worries the FAO is that after winding down over the past five years, the last year has seen a rising number of poultry outbreaks, including outbreaks in countries that previously eliminated the virus or were never before affected.
“There is a legitimate concern we are seeing an upswing in the last year compared to the last five,” Lubroth said today in a telephone interview. “We are warning the world that this fall we may be seeing an increased geographical distribution.”
Lubroth suspects that wild bird migrations are spreading bird flu far and wide. He notes that the virus has recently popped up in faraway places such as Israel, the Palestinian territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal, and Mongolia.
There’s another piece of potentially bad news. A mutant H5N1 bird flu virus is spreading in Vietnam. The mutant, dubbed H5N1 2.3.2.1, has evolved to escape the poultry vaccine currently used in Vietnam and perhaps elsewhere.
But there’s no sign that this mutant is more or less virulent than previous versions of H5N1, and no sign that it’s more easily transmitted from person to person. In fact, Lubroth suspects that humans already have been infected with the mutant strain, although the mutant’s genetic fingerprints have yet to be detected in an infected person.
How big a deal is this mutant? It’s nothing new for flu bugs to mutate, says virologist Ruben Donis, PhD, chief of the molecular virology and vaccines branch in the CDC’s influenza division.
“We are not extremely alarmed by this news,” Donis today told me. “This group of viruses has been circulating wildly in Vietnam, and so far there have been very few human infections. Vietnam had no human infections in 2011 so far.”
Lubroth agrees. “This [mutation] should not be interpreted as making the world a more dangerous place. Not at all,” he said.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Bird flu is on the rise, warns the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“[It] could mean that there will be a flareup of [bird flu] this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their back yard,” FAO chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth suggested in a news release.
Bird flu, for those who may have forgotten, is the bug that health authorities have been losing sleep over since it first infected humans in 2003. Officially called avian influenza, it’s caused by a virus known as H5N1. True to its name, bird flu has devastated chicken flocks in the 63 countries to which it spread.
There’s a lot of good news. Bird flu has never yet learned to spread easily from person to person. Nearly all human infections have come from close contact with poultry or consumption of raw (not cooked) chicken products. And thanks to drastic culling of infected chicken flocks, bird flu has been eliminated from most of the countries in which it has appeared.
The bad news is that when humans do get the bug, it causes a deadly illness. Of the 565 people known to have been infected, 331 have died — nearly a 60% mortality rate. And, the FAO says, bird flu “is still firmly entrenched” in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
What worries the FAO is that after winding down over the past five years, the last year has seen a rising number of poultry outbreaks, including outbreaks in countries that previously eliminated the virus or were never before affected.
“There is a legitimate concern we are seeing an upswing in the last year compared to the last five,” Lubroth said today in a telephone interview. “We are warning the world that this fall we may be seeing an increased geographical distribution.”
Lubroth suspects that wild bird migrations are spreading bird flu far and wide. He notes that the virus has recently popped up in faraway places such as Israel, the Palestinian territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal, and Mongolia.
There’s another piece of potentially bad news. A mutant H5N1 bird flu virus is spreading in Vietnam. The mutant, dubbed H5N1 2.3.2.1, has evolved to escape the poultry vaccine currently used in Vietnam and perhaps elsewhere.
But there’s no sign that this mutant is more or less virulent than previous versions of H5N1, and no sign that it’s more easily transmitted from person to person. In fact, Lubroth suspects that humans already have been infected with the mutant strain, although the mutant’s genetic fingerprints have yet to be detected in an infected person.
How big a deal is this mutant? It’s nothing new for flu bugs to mutate, says virologist Ruben Donis, PhD, chief of the molecular virology and vaccines branch in the CDC’s influenza division.
“We are not extremely alarmed by this news,” Donis today told me. “This group of viruses has been circulating wildly in Vietnam, and so far there have been very few human infections. Vietnam had no human infections in 2011 so far.”
Lubroth agrees. “This [mutation] should not be interpreted as making the world a more dangerous place. Not at all,” he said.
New bird flu strain sparks warning for chicken farms
Mary Ann Benitez
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Chicken farms have been urged to repair bird-proof nets and adhere to strict biosecurity measures after the United Nations warned about a new mutant strain of the deadly bird flu virus in the mainland and Vietnam.
A center spokeswoman said last night it has not detected any human H5N1 cases originating in the SAR this year.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Chicken farms have been urged to repair bird-proof nets and adhere to strict biosecurity measures after the United Nations warned about a new mutant strain of the deadly bird flu virus in the mainland and Vietnam.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned about the appearance of the new mutant strain known as H5N1 - 2.3.2.1 that can "sidestep the defenses" of veterinary vaccines.
The Centre for Health Protection last night revealed that a 59-year-old woman, who returned from the mainland sickened by the H5N1 bird flu, had the mutant virus.
She was seriously ill when admitted to Tuen Mun Hospital on November 14 with pneumonia. Her case prompted activation of the serious response level under the government plan to deal with an influenza pandemic.
A center spokeswoman said last night it has not detected any human H5N1 cases originating in the SAR this year.
Despite the warning regarding the vaccine, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will continue to use the Intervet Nobilis H5N2 jab in the mandatory program for chickens at local farms. This procedure has been in place since 2003.
In Vietnam, which suspended its springtime poultry vaccination campaign this year, most of the northern and central parts - where H5N1 is endemic - have been invaded by the new strain.
Eight dead wild birds in Hong Kong have been confirmed with the H5 virus this year. It was most recently detected in a goose in March.
"We will remind poultry farmers to strictly adhere to biosecurity measures such as repair the bird-proof nets in farms," a department spokesman said.
ABC News: Bird flu self-defense: 7 key questions answered
[Click on title for story. Click on the picture and the caption is the information]
No vaccine for the flu mutation H5H1
RFA 08.30.2011
The virologists yesterday warned no vaccine against the mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu virus is widespread in Vietnam and China, and called for strict supervision to prevent epidemic spread to humans.
The call was made after the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) UN warning on Monday about the possibility of avian flu back and the new variant is widespread in Asia and far more.
Currently scientists are not sure whether the new strain H5N1-2.3.2.1 is more dangerous in people or not, but it certainly is different from previous strains of virus to escape vaccine against H5N1 in humans.
It is known that H5N1 began to reemerge in recent months. Most notable is the 8 people in Cambodia died from H5N1 infection this year.
FAO said that Vietnam now has stopped vaccinating poultry for years, and new variants appear mainly in northern and central provinces.
The virologists yesterday warned no vaccine against the mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu virus is widespread in Vietnam and China, and called for strict supervision to prevent epidemic spread to humans.
The call was made after the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) UN warning on Monday about the possibility of avian flu back and the new variant is widespread in Asia and far more.
Currently scientists are not sure whether the new strain H5N1-2.3.2.1 is more dangerous in people or not, but it certainly is different from previous strains of virus to escape vaccine against H5N1 in humans.
It is known that H5N1 began to reemerge in recent months. Most notable is the 8 people in Cambodia died from H5N1 infection this year.
FAO said that Vietnam now has stopped vaccinating poultry for years, and new variants appear mainly in northern and central provinces.
Quang Ngai: confused because there is no influenza A/H5N1 vaccine
Sunday, 28/08/2011, 22:58 (GMT +7)
TTO - Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Son Tinh district (Quang Ngai), said Dang Thanh Hau influenza A/H5N1 appeared on the household flock Men and Vi Pham Van Ngoc Dung has been destroyed. 28-8 am, however, remain in this community so dead duck district veterinary stations to coordinate the specialized agencies of the provincial samples sent four regional veterinary center for further testing.
The worrying thing is that after the outbreak occurs, the district petitions SDAH Quang Ngai for influenza A/H5N1 vaccine for vaccinating poultry enclosure. But now the source of this vaccine has not been granted the province to the district may only conduct disinfection and hygiene sector outbreak occurs.
The concern now than in summer-autumn rice crop, drop-duck status of the common run, while not A/H5N1 influenza vaccination should be easy to spread widely.
TTO - Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Son Tinh district (Quang Ngai), said Dang Thanh Hau influenza A/H5N1 appeared on the household flock Men and Vi Pham Van Ngoc Dung has been destroyed. 28-8 am, however, remain in this community so dead duck district veterinary stations to coordinate the specialized agencies of the provincial samples sent four regional veterinary center for further testing.
The worrying thing is that after the outbreak occurs, the district petitions SDAH Quang Ngai for influenza A/H5N1 vaccine for vaccinating poultry enclosure. But now the source of this vaccine has not been granted the province to the district may only conduct disinfection and hygiene sector outbreak occurs.
The concern now than in summer-autumn rice crop, drop-duck status of the common run, while not A/H5N1 influenza vaccination should be easy to spread widely.
Bird flu may return big time in B'desh: UN
Dhaka/Rome, Aug 29
....
In Bangladesh, bird flu infections were widespread last year, and fresh cases are reported countrywide.
Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Prof Mahmudur Rahman said the UN alarm was justified.
"It's a hotspot for virus mutation as four strains – H5N1, H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 – are circulating in the air," he said, but nothing can be predicted about virus mutation.
But if it (mutation) does not happen, then its fine, he said.
The H5N1 virus was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006 after mass poultry culling, but since 2008 it has been expanding geographically in both poultry and wild birds, partly due to migration patterns, the FAO said.
"But we could not eliminate due to our poor bio-security measures in poultry farms," Prof Rahman said, adding, the virus is widespread in Bangladesh poultry.
"Even now, we are noticing outbreaks in unusual times," he said, referring to the Aug 27's outbreak in Chuadanga where over 21,000 chickens were culled.
H5N1 (virus) has the potential to cause severe illness in human with a high fatality rate.
"We are lucky as the strain (clade 2.2) of H5N1 which circulates in Bangladesh is less virulent, but can be changed into another class (2.1), which is highly infectious to human," the IEDCR director said.
Since the first outbreak in poultry in March 2007, Bangladesh has recorded three human infections so far...
The IEDCR director said livestock department should be "pro-active" to stave off the virus.
"They (livestock department) should encourage people to maintain bio-security in farms," he said, suggesting only those farms that ensure bio-security but still are affected by bird flu get compensated.
The government now compensates all farms after culling their bird flu-infected chickens.
The IEDCR advised people consume well-cooked poultry products and maintain personal hygiene - cough into the crook of elbow and wash hands with soap often - to keep the infection away.
....
In Bangladesh, bird flu infections were widespread last year, and fresh cases are reported countrywide.
Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Prof Mahmudur Rahman said the UN alarm was justified.
"It's a hotspot for virus mutation as four strains – H5N1, H1N1, H3N2 and H9N2 – are circulating in the air," he said, but nothing can be predicted about virus mutation.
But if it (mutation) does not happen, then its fine, he said.
The H5N1 virus was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006 after mass poultry culling, but since 2008 it has been expanding geographically in both poultry and wild birds, partly due to migration patterns, the FAO said.
"But we could not eliminate due to our poor bio-security measures in poultry farms," Prof Rahman said, adding, the virus is widespread in Bangladesh poultry.
"Even now, we are noticing outbreaks in unusual times," he said, referring to the Aug 27's outbreak in Chuadanga where over 21,000 chickens were culled.
H5N1 (virus) has the potential to cause severe illness in human with a high fatality rate.
"We are lucky as the strain (clade 2.2) of H5N1 which circulates in Bangladesh is less virulent, but can be changed into another class (2.1), which is highly infectious to human," the IEDCR director said.
Since the first outbreak in poultry in March 2007, Bangladesh has recorded three human infections so far...
The IEDCR director said livestock department should be "pro-active" to stave off the virus.
"They (livestock department) should encourage people to maintain bio-security in farms," he said, suggesting only those farms that ensure bio-security but still are affected by bird flu get compensated.
The government now compensates all farms after culling their bird flu-infected chickens.
The IEDCR advised people consume well-cooked poultry products and maintain personal hygiene - cough into the crook of elbow and wash hands with soap often - to keep the infection away.
WHO: Antigenic and genetic characteristics of influenza A(H5N1) and influenza A(H9N2) viruses for the development of candidate vaccine viruses for pan
Excerpts (click on title for full PDF file)
Influenza A(H5N1)
Since 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have become enzootic in some countries and continue to cause outbreaks in poultry as well as sporadic human infections. The A(H5N1) viruses have diversified both genetically and antigenically leading to the need for multiple candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness purposes.
Despite the emergence of the pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) [A(H1N1)pdm09]2 viruses, the zoonotic and pandemic threats posed by A(H5N1) viruses remain. This summary provides an update on the characterization of A(H5N1) viruses isolated from birds and humans, and the current status of the development of candidate A(H5N1) vaccine viruses.
-snip-
Influenza A(H5N1) activity from 27 September 2010 to 15 February 2011
A(H5N1) viruses have been detected in birds in Africa and Asia. Human infections have been reported to WHO from Cambodia, China Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR), Egypt and Indonesia, countries, areas or territories that have also reported infections in birds (Table 1).
Antigenic and genetic characteristics
A nomenclature for phylogenetic relationships among the haemagglutinin (HA) genes of A(H5N1) viruses was devised in consultation with representatives of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and WHO. This nomenclature is updated when new genetic clades emerge and can be found on WHO website3.
Viruses characterized from 27 September 2010 to 15 February 2011 belonged to the
following clades.
-snip-
Clade 2.3.2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Hong Kong SAR, Japan and Republic of Korea, and in poultry in Japan, Nepal, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam. A human case was also detected in Hong Kong SAR. Although the recent viruses are genetically similar to viruses isolated in 2009 and 2010, viruses within clade 2.3.2 form two distinct phylogenetic groups represented by A/Hubei/1/2010 and A/barn swallow/Hong Kong/D10-1161/2010
(Figure 3). The human case from Hong Kong SAR in 2010 belonged to the A/Hubei/1/2010 group. Antigenically, the clade 2.3.2 viruses are heterogeneous and not all viruses react well to postinfection ferret antiserum raised to the candidate vaccine virus A/common
magpie/Hong Kong/5052/2007 (Table 3).
-snip-
Influenza A(H5N1) candidate vaccine viruses
Based on the current antigenic, genetic and epidemiological data, further clade 2.3.2 candidate vaccine viruses are recommended. Candidate vaccine viruses based on an A/Hubei/1/2010-like virus and an A/barn swallow/Hong Kong/D10-1161/2010-like virus are proposed. The available candidate A(H5N1) vaccine viruses are listed in Table 4. On the basis of the geographical spread, epidemiology and antigenic and genetic properties of the A(H5N1) viruses, national authorities may recommend the use of one or more of these candidate vaccine viruses for pilot lot vaccine production, clinical trials and stockpiling of A(H5N1) vaccines.
For pandemic preparedness purposes, new A(H5N1) candidate vaccine viruses will be
developed as the viruses continue to evolve and announced as they become available.
Institutions, companies and others who wish to receive these candidate vaccine viruses
should contact the WHO Global Influenza Programme at GISN@who.int or the institutions
listed in announcements published on the WHO website4.
-snip-
[Click on image to enlarge]
Influenza A(H5N1)
Since 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have become enzootic in some countries and continue to cause outbreaks in poultry as well as sporadic human infections. The A(H5N1) viruses have diversified both genetically and antigenically leading to the need for multiple candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness purposes.
Despite the emergence of the pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) [A(H1N1)pdm09]2 viruses, the zoonotic and pandemic threats posed by A(H5N1) viruses remain. This summary provides an update on the characterization of A(H5N1) viruses isolated from birds and humans, and the current status of the development of candidate A(H5N1) vaccine viruses.
-snip-
Influenza A(H5N1) activity from 27 September 2010 to 15 February 2011
A(H5N1) viruses have been detected in birds in Africa and Asia. Human infections have been reported to WHO from Cambodia, China Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR), Egypt and Indonesia, countries, areas or territories that have also reported infections in birds (Table 1).
Antigenic and genetic characteristics
A nomenclature for phylogenetic relationships among the haemagglutinin (HA) genes of A(H5N1) viruses was devised in consultation with representatives of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and WHO. This nomenclature is updated when new genetic clades emerge and can be found on WHO website3.
Viruses characterized from 27 September 2010 to 15 February 2011 belonged to the
following clades.
-snip-
Clade 2.3.2 viruses were detected in wild birds in Hong Kong SAR, Japan and Republic of Korea, and in poultry in Japan, Nepal, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam. A human case was also detected in Hong Kong SAR. Although the recent viruses are genetically similar to viruses isolated in 2009 and 2010, viruses within clade 2.3.2 form two distinct phylogenetic groups represented by A/Hubei/1/2010 and A/barn swallow/Hong Kong/D10-1161/2010
(Figure 3). The human case from Hong Kong SAR in 2010 belonged to the A/Hubei/1/2010 group. Antigenically, the clade 2.3.2 viruses are heterogeneous and not all viruses react well to postinfection ferret antiserum raised to the candidate vaccine virus A/common
magpie/Hong Kong/5052/2007 (Table 3).
-snip-
Influenza A(H5N1) candidate vaccine viruses
Based on the current antigenic, genetic and epidemiological data, further clade 2.3.2 candidate vaccine viruses are recommended. Candidate vaccine viruses based on an A/Hubei/1/2010-like virus and an A/barn swallow/Hong Kong/D10-1161/2010-like virus are proposed. The available candidate A(H5N1) vaccine viruses are listed in Table 4. On the basis of the geographical spread, epidemiology and antigenic and genetic properties of the A(H5N1) viruses, national authorities may recommend the use of one or more of these candidate vaccine viruses for pilot lot vaccine production, clinical trials and stockpiling of A(H5N1) vaccines.
For pandemic preparedness purposes, new A(H5N1) candidate vaccine viruses will be
developed as the viruses continue to evolve and announced as they become available.
Institutions, companies and others who wish to receive these candidate vaccine viruses
should contact the WHO Global Influenza Programme at GISN@who.int or the institutions
listed in announcements published on the WHO website4.
-snip-
[Click on image to enlarge]
Bird flu deaths in Asia prompt call for scrutiny
Aug 30, 2011 5:24pm IST
(Reuters) - Virologists warned on Tuesday that there was no vaccine against a mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu now spreading in China and Vietnam and called for closer monitoring of the disease in poultry and wild birds to stop it spreading to people....
While scientists are uncertain if this new strain -- called H5N1-2.3.2.1 -- is more virulent in people, they said it was different enough from its predecessor to escape a human H5N1 vaccine that can tackle the parent strain....
"H5N1 cases in Cambodia always have high mortality because they are detected late," Peiris told Reuters in an interview."It doesn't necessarily indicate that this particular virus strain is more virulent to humans. But it is a threat because it has become more widespread globally."
(Reuters) - Virologists warned on Tuesday that there was no vaccine against a mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu now spreading in China and Vietnam and called for closer monitoring of the disease in poultry and wild birds to stop it spreading to people....
While scientists are uncertain if this new strain -- called H5N1-2.3.2.1 -- is more virulent in people, they said it was different enough from its predecessor to escape a human H5N1 vaccine that can tackle the parent strain....
"H5N1 cases in Cambodia always have high mortality because they are detected late," Peiris told Reuters in an interview."It doesn't necessarily indicate that this particular virus strain is more virulent to humans. But it is a threat because it has become more widespread globally."
UN issues mutant bird flu warning
August 30, 2011 21:21:04
The United Nations has warned of a possible major resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus and the spread of a mutant strain in Asia and elsewhere. VIDEO AT LINK.
The United Nations has warned of a possible major resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus and the spread of a mutant strain in Asia and elsewhere. VIDEO AT LINK.
Aussies urged to avoid chickens in Asia
- August 30, 2011
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation on Tuesday said there were signs that a mutant strain of H5N1 was spreading in Asia.
One person has died in August in Cambodia, where the infection has killed another seven people this year.
Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos are also susceptible, health experts say.
The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza has urged Australians travelling to southeast Asia to be careful.
"They should avoid wet markets ... selling poultry or live birds," the centre's Melbourne-based deputy director Ian Barr said.
Dr Barr said the chance of catching bird flu in Asia was low "but not zero".
Still, Nobel-prize winner Professor Peter Doherty, from the University of Melbourne's department of microbiology and immunology, said a global bird flu pandemic was possible.
"This is a dangerous situation," the former Australian of the Year said in a statement.
"The continued exposure of humans and pigs could lead to the emergence of a mutant, or a reassorted H5N1 virus, that could spread between people and trigger a global pandemic."
More info on the H5N1 mutation
‘The general departure from the progressive decline in 2004-2008 could mean that there will be a flare-up of H5N1 this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their backyard,’ Lubroth said in a statement.
But leading microbiologist, Professor Hugh Pennington, says that while there is no evidence that the flu is yet mutating to spread from person to person it is a 'reasonable speculation' that it has become resistant to Tamiflu - the main drug used in the UK to fight the virus.
The British and Scottish Governments spent over £100m on over 50 million doses of Tamiflu - enough for 80 per cent of the population
The emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University had warned last year that deadly flu pandemics with special antiviral drugs could create an even more dangerous, untreatable 'superflu' after the UK expanded anti-viral stocks from 35 million to 50 million.
The Scottish government's effort to combat a possible pandemic is also heavily reliant on Tamiflu, an oral drug produced by the Swiss manufacturer Roche, despite warnings that it may be ineffective.
"Tamiflu should only be given to high risk cases. I think it is a reasonable speculation to make - given the new reports - that Tamiflu has been handed out inappropriately and the virus has developed a resistance to it. If that is the case that would mean that the UK's stocks of the drug would be largely ineffective,' said Professor Pennington.
'The idea that Tamiflu was a cure-all was plainly wrong.
'There is no need to panic yet because there is no evidence that the virus is spreading person to person and there are other anti-virals - such as Relenza - that do have an effect.
'There is also no evidence that the virus is becoming vaccine resistant. A new vaccine will have to be made, but that is to be expected. Flu is always changing and it would be staggering if this flu didn't. Vaccines have to be constantly updated.'
However, the UK Government has stockpiled only about ten million doses of Relenza and it is more difficult to take. While Tamiflu can be swallowed as a pill at home, Relenza is a powder that must be administered with an inhaler, normally under medical supervision.
But Professor Pennington warned that stocks of Relenza had to be increased. 'We have to get as much Relenza as possible because we don't know how effective Tamiflu will be,' he said.
'With flu the best advice is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.'
Prof. Pennington, a past president of the General Society for Microbiology, said it was also 'impossible' to predict when this year's flu would strike.
Dr Steve Gamblin, the joint head of molecular structure at the National Institute for Medical Research, has also previously warned that the mutation renders Tamiflu about 250 times less effective than it should be.
Sir William Stewart, the chairman of the Health Protection Agency, has also said that the widespread use of antiviral drugs to treat illnesses, including bird flu and seasonal influenza, is causing- viruses to mutate into drug-resistant-forms.
He has claimed that drug-resistant viruses now represented as big a threat to public health as antibiotic-resistant superbug bacteria, such as MRSA.
Concerns that a pandemic flu virus might develop resistance to Tamiflu first emerged in 2005, after reports from Vietnam that H5N1 virus was showing signs of decreased sensitivity to the drug.
Vietnam: H5N1 Clade 2.3.2 Article from July (translation)
Previous post:
Here is an article from July 21, 2011:
H5N1 flu recurrence in the North
RFA 21.07.2011
The recurrence of bird flu across the two northern provinces - Phu Tho and Quang Tri.
At the Public commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho, flu re-emerged again from July 10. Within 11 days, there were 2 thousand 300 birds infected with H5N1 influenza and died.
In Quang Tri, the virus appeared on July 6. Until now, local destruction of two thousand two hundred chickens, ducks infected.
Especially as the test bird flu samples in the two places are for a positive result with the new clade 2.3.2 viruses (called branch 2). The virus appeared last year and there is no preventive vaccine. According to experts, this new type of virus usually occurs in the northern provinces, while the virus clade 1 (old branch) still appear in the South.
[On July 18, we posted to this blog, an article on this subject:
Vietnam: H5N1 Virus Clade 2.3.2 Appears, Vaccine Almost No Effect
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/vietnam-h5n1-virus-clade-232-appears.html]
Here is an article from July 21, 2011:
H5N1 flu recurrence in the North
RFA 21.07.2011
The recurrence of bird flu across the two northern provinces - Phu Tho and Quang Tri.
At the Public commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho, flu re-emerged again from July 10. Within 11 days, there were 2 thousand 300 birds infected with H5N1 influenza and died.
In Quang Tri, the virus appeared on July 6. Until now, local destruction of two thousand two hundred chickens, ducks infected.
Especially as the test bird flu samples in the two places are for a positive result with the new clade 2.3.2 viruses (called branch 2). The virus appeared last year and there is no preventive vaccine. According to experts, this new type of virus usually occurs in the northern provinces, while the virus clade 1 (old branch) still appear in the South.
Vietnam monitored the H5N1 virus changes
[Translated out of Vietnam]
Nam Nguyen, RFA reporter
TS Application for registration: This is for the North instead! South vaccine still works normally be vaccinated against epidemic and in the South is the next vaccination and sampling to check the virus in the South is changing or not. We reported the minister (MARD) Epidemiological features of virus circulation in the South is still the clade 1 has been vaccinated. Particularly clade 2.3.2 does not work, we stop injecting, we're waiting to see China has devised the new vaccine or not either Mexico or another country are more domestic vaccine research. This is a problem we are interested in leading.
Nam Nguyen, RFA reporter
2011-08-29
Veterinary Industry of Vietnam react to warnings of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization of the avian influenza virus can transform serious outbreak.
Nam Nguyen exchange rapidly with Dr. Van register, Head of Epidemiology Department of Animal Health of Vietnam, from Hanoi, said Dr. Van Sign:
TS Application for registration: bird flu vaccine now has problems of epidemiological characteristics, the virus has changed is the H5N1 clade (branch) 2.3.2 China has done the vaccine. This problem is very high risk, if you are not monitoring for early detection processing time, it will be spread without the vaccine will be very dangerous.
From May 9 / 2010 H5N1 virus had changed, before bird flu virus circulating in Vietnam and China are clade clade 2.3.4 is now 2.3.2. This is a very important issue, said a pandemic would spread to the extent it is not so, but still alert.
Nam Nguyen said Vietnam Information has stopped vaccinating poultry in northern and central ... what about in the South actually like?
TS Application for registration: The problem is that scientists find anti-viral vaccine for this new clade. We are interested in whether a vaccine to be prepared for vaccination because of round 1 round 2 were not vaccinated then. Now bird flu vaccines primarily given to the southern provinces, because this area is the virus H5N1 clade 1 vaccine-RE5 is effective vaccination. We have vaccinated 50 million doses and prepare 60 million doses needed for phase 2.
Wait for new vaccines
Nam Nguyen: The spread between regions in Vietnam are unavoidable as happened in the past, vaccinating older types can be wasteful and inefficient?
TS Application for registration: This is for the North instead! South vaccine still works normally be vaccinated against epidemic and in the South is the next vaccination and sampling to check the virus in the South is changing or not. We reported the minister (MARD) Epidemiological features of virus circulation in the South is still the clade 1 has been vaccinated. Particularly clade 2.3.2 does not work, we stop injecting, we're waiting to see China has devised the new vaccine or not either Mexico or another country are more domestic vaccine research. This is a problem we are interested in leading.
Nam Nguyen: Dear Dr., in the context of the current avian influenza was detected changes in the North is no longer vaccinated, while in the South is still vaccination. So the fact Vietnam is dealing with the risk of bird flu outbreaks like?
TS Application for registration: Of course now no longer a vaccine is to monitor their time ... occur in small outbreaks, but their findings will collapse sooner or recompiled. We have reported outbreaks in Phu Tho, we found early and treated immediately, it does not spread further to other places. There is no prophylactic vaccine, the problem is that we must strengthen surveillance systems, early detection, treatment destroyed immediately, but if we neglect to spread to other places where it will spread into higher great service. More than a year we do not have any outbreak of bird flu spreading to humans, so I think virulent virus to infect people was not high, so the past may no patients infected with H5N1.
Nam Nguyen: Thank you, Dr. Van registration interview.
Recombinomics: FAO Warns of Fujian H5N1 Spread In China and Vietnam
Recombinomics Commentary 14:20
August 29, 2011
The advance appears to be associated with migratory bird movements, according to FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth. He said migrations help the virus travel over long distances, so that H5N1 has in the past 24 months shown up in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for several years.
"Wild birds may introduce the virus, but peoples' actions in poultry production and marketing spread it," Lubroth noted.
Recently affected areas are to be found in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.
A further cause for concern, Lubroth said, is the appearance in China and Viet Nam of a variant virus apparently able to sidestep the defences provided by existing vaccines.
In Viet Nam, which suspended its springtime poultry vaccination campaign this year, most of the northern and central parts of the country -- where H5N1 is endemic -- have been invaded by the new virus strain, known as H5N1 - 2.3.2.1.
The above comments are in an FAO announcement warning of the spread of Fujian clade 2.3 (sub-clade 2.3.2.1), which was reported in the spring of 2008 in outbreaks in poultry in South Korea and Russia, as well as whooper swans in northern Japan. The sub-clade has a clade 2.3.2 HA reassorted with other genes from clade 2.3.4. This sub-clade was reported earlier in Hong Kong, and the spread to northern Japan, Korea and Russia raised concerns that it would migrate to Mongolia in the summer of 2008.
Sequences analysis confirmed this migration, and identified recombinants between clade 2.2.1 in Egypt and clade 2.3.2 in wild birds. Clade 2.3.2 was subsequently confirmed in poultry in Romania and a wild bird in Bulgaria.
The most recent public sequences are from a Feb 2011 isolate from a chicken in Vietnam, but this HA sequence is related to a 2010 human case in China (A/Hubei/01/2010). WHO has published an HA phylogenetic analysis, which includes the Hubei sequence, as well as poultry sequences from Vietnam. The is no current H5N1 vaccine against human clade 2.3.2 sequences, although the Hubei sequence has been selected as a candidate.
Full sequences for all 8 gene segments of the Hubei isolate are available at GISAID, and these sequences confirm matches with wild bird sequences from 2008.
Release of 2011 human sequences from China and southeast Asia would be useful.
S. Korea: H5N1 Found in Migratory Birds in 2011
It appears that the H5N1 2.3.2 clade has already entered S. Korea.
Excerpt from previous FAO article:
Excerpt from previous FAO article:
Viet Nam's veterinary services are on high alert and reportedly considering a novel, targeted vaccination campaign this fall. Virus circulation in Viet Nam poses a direct threat to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia as well as endangering the Korean peninsula and Japan further afield. Wild bird migration can also spread the virus to other continents.
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/fao-bird-flu-rears-its-head-again.html#links
Virus Res. 2011 Jul 12. [Epub ahead of print]
Genetic characterization and pathogenicity assessment of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated from migratory wild birds in 2011, South Korea.
Kwon HI, Song MS, Pascua PN, Baek YH, Lee JH, Hong SP, Rho JB, Kim JK, Poo H, Kim CJ, Choi YK.
Source
College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, 12 Gaeshin-Dong Heungduk-Ku, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
The continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus among wild birds and poultry has posed a potential threat to human public health. In the present study, we report the isolation of HPAI H5N1 viruses (A/Md/Korea/W401/11 and A/Md/Korea/W404/11) from fecal samples of migratory birds. Genetic and phlyogenetic analyses demonstrated that these viruses are genetically identical possessing gene segments from avian virus origin and showing highest sequence similarities (as high as 99.8%) to A/Ws/Hokkaido/4/11 and 2009-2010 Mongolian-like clade 2.3.2 isolates rather than previous Korean H5N1 viruses. Both viruses possess the polybasic motif (QRERRRK/R) in HA but other genes did not bear additional virulence markers. Pathogenicity of A/Md/Korea/W401/11 was assessed and compared with a 2006 clade 2.2 HPAI H5N1 migratory bird isolate (A/EM/Korea/W149/06) in chickens, ducks, mice and ferrets. Experimental infection in these hosts showed that both viruses have high pathogenic potential in chickens (2.3-3.0LD(50)s) and mice (3.3-3.9LD(50)s), but A/Md/Korea/W401/11 was less pathogenic in duck and ferret models. Despite recovery of both infection viruses in the upper respiratory tract, efficient ferret-to-ferret transmission was not observed. These data suggest that the 2011 Korean HPAI wild bird H5N1 virus could replicate in mammalian hosts without pre-adaptation but could not sustain subsequent infection. This study highlights the role of migratory birds in the perpetuation and spread of HPAI H5N1 viruses in Far-East Asia. With the changing pathobiology caused by H5N1 viruses among wild and poultry birds, continued surveillance of influenza viruses among migratory bird species remains crucial for effective monitoring of high-pathogenicity or pandemic influenza viruses.
Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Genetic characterization and pathogenicity assessment of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated from migratory wild birds in 2011, South Korea.
Kwon HI, Song MS, Pascua PN, Baek YH, Lee JH, Hong SP, Rho JB, Kim JK, Poo H, Kim CJ, Choi YK.
Source
College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, 12 Gaeshin-Dong Heungduk-Ku, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
The continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus among wild birds and poultry has posed a potential threat to human public health. In the present study, we report the isolation of HPAI H5N1 viruses (A/Md/Korea/W401/11 and A/Md/Korea/W404/11) from fecal samples of migratory birds. Genetic and phlyogenetic analyses demonstrated that these viruses are genetically identical possessing gene segments from avian virus origin and showing highest sequence similarities (as high as 99.8%) to A/Ws/Hokkaido/4/11 and 2009-2010 Mongolian-like clade 2.3.2 isolates rather than previous Korean H5N1 viruses. Both viruses possess the polybasic motif (QRERRRK/R) in HA but other genes did not bear additional virulence markers. Pathogenicity of A/Md/Korea/W401/11 was assessed and compared with a 2006 clade 2.2 HPAI H5N1 migratory bird isolate (A/EM/Korea/W149/06) in chickens, ducks, mice and ferrets. Experimental infection in these hosts showed that both viruses have high pathogenic potential in chickens (2.3-3.0LD(50)s) and mice (3.3-3.9LD(50)s), but A/Md/Korea/W401/11 was less pathogenic in duck and ferret models. Despite recovery of both infection viruses in the upper respiratory tract, efficient ferret-to-ferret transmission was not observed. These data suggest that the 2011 Korean HPAI wild bird H5N1 virus could replicate in mammalian hosts without pre-adaptation but could not sustain subsequent infection. This study highlights the role of migratory birds in the perpetuation and spread of HPAI H5N1 viruses in Far-East Asia. With the changing pathobiology caused by H5N1 viruses among wild and poultry birds, continued surveillance of influenza viruses among migratory bird species remains crucial for effective monitoring of high-pathogenicity or pandemic influenza viruses.
Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.
- PMID:
- 21782862
- [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- hat-tip Giuseppi Michieli
Monday, August 29, 2011
FAO Warns of Spread of Fujian H5N1 Mutation
Another post on the FAO Alert, from Scott McPherson's Web Presence. One of my favorite sites. Thanks Scott! It's good to see you posting on H5N1 again.
Click on title for full article
Posted on Monday, August 29, 2011
Back in 2008, flublogia announced the origins of a new clade, or substrain, of bird flu. And I joined right in, proclaiming that the new clade -- nicknamed "Fujian," after the province where it was subtyped -- would eventually cause major problems. The best blog of mine that I could remember on the topic, from 2008, can be read here. You might also be entertained by my original blog on the Chinese H2H case involving Fujian H5N1, here. I know I was; I have forgotten half of this stuff!
Click on title for full article
Posted on Monday, August 29, 2011
Back in 2008, flublogia announced the origins of a new clade, or substrain, of bird flu. And I joined right in, proclaiming that the new clade -- nicknamed "Fujian," after the province where it was subtyped -- would eventually cause major problems. The best blog of mine that I could remember on the topic, from 2008, can be read here. You might also be entertained by my original blog on the Chinese H2H case involving Fujian H5N1, here. I know I was; I have forgotten half of this stuff!
Fujian H5N1 was the cause of the father-to-son (or was it son-to-father) Chinese H2H infection back in 2008. The arrival of simultaneous Fujian B2B and H2H bird flu was extremely troubling to all of us.
[continued]Additional Article regarding Bird Flu Virus Signs of Mutant Strain
From the Washington Post:
UN warns of possible resurgence of bird flu virus, signs a mutant strain spreading in Asia
Click on title for full article
UN warns of possible resurgence of bird flu virus, signs a mutant strain spreading in Asia
Click on title for full article
FAO: Bird Flu rears its head again - Increased preparedness and surveillance urged against variant strain
[On July 18, we posted to this blog, an article on this subject:
Vietnam: H5N1 Virus Clade 2.3.2 Appears, Vaccine Almost No Effect
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/vietnam-h5n1-virus-clade-232-appears.html]
29 August 2011, Rome - FAO today urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health.
The H5N1 virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared in 2003, killing 331 of them, according to WHO figures. The latest death occurred earlier this month in Cambodia, which has registered eight cases of human infection this year -- all of them fatal.
Since 2003 H5N1 has killed or forced the culling of more than 400 million domestic poultry and caused an estimated $20 billion of economic damage across the globe before it was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006.
However, the virus remained endemic in six nations, although the number of outbreaks in domestic poultry and wild bird populations shrank steadily from an annual peak of 4000 to just 302 in mid 2008. But outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases recorded in 2010-2011.
Virus spread in both poultry and wild birds
At the same time, 2008 marked the beginning of renewed geographic expansion of the H5N1 virus both in poultry and wild birds.
The advance appears to be associated with migratory bird movements, according to FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth. He said migrations help the virus travel over long distances, so that H5N1 has in the past 24 months shown up in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for several years.
"Wild birds may introduce the virus, but peoples' actions in poultry production and marketing spread it," Lubroth noted.
Recently affected areas are to be found in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.
A further cause for concern, Lubroth said, is the appearance in China and Viet Nam of a variant virus apparently able to sidestep the defences provided by existing vaccines.
In Viet Nam, which suspended its springtime poultry vaccination campaign this year, most of the northern and central parts of the country -- where H5N1 is endemic -- have been invaded by the new virus strain, known as H5N1 - 2.3.2.1.
High alert
Viet Nam's veterinary services are on high alert and reportedly considering a novel, targeted vaccination campaign this fall. Virus circulation in Viet Nam poses a direct threat to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia as well as endangering the Korean peninsula and Japan further afield. Wild bird migration can also spread the virus to other continents.
"The general departure from the progressive decline observed in 2004-2008 could mean that there will be a flareup of H5N1 this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their backyard," Lubroth said.
The countries where H5N1 is still firmly entrenched – Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam – are likely to face the biggest problems but no country can consider itself safe, he said.
"Preparedness and surveillance remain essential," Lubroth underlined. "This is no time for complacency. No one can let their guard down with H5N1."
Vietnam: H5N1 Virus Clade 2.3.2 Appears, Vaccine Almost No Effect
http://pandemicinformationnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/vietnam-h5n1-virus-clade-232-appears.html]
29 August 2011, Rome - FAO today urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health.
The H5N1 virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared in 2003, killing 331 of them, according to WHO figures. The latest death occurred earlier this month in Cambodia, which has registered eight cases of human infection this year -- all of them fatal.
Since 2003 H5N1 has killed or forced the culling of more than 400 million domestic poultry and caused an estimated $20 billion of economic damage across the globe before it was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006.
However, the virus remained endemic in six nations, although the number of outbreaks in domestic poultry and wild bird populations shrank steadily from an annual peak of 4000 to just 302 in mid 2008. But outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases recorded in 2010-2011.
Virus spread in both poultry and wild birds
At the same time, 2008 marked the beginning of renewed geographic expansion of the H5N1 virus both in poultry and wild birds.
The advance appears to be associated with migratory bird movements, according to FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth. He said migrations help the virus travel over long distances, so that H5N1 has in the past 24 months shown up in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for several years.
"Wild birds may introduce the virus, but peoples' actions in poultry production and marketing spread it," Lubroth noted.
Recently affected areas are to be found in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.
A further cause for concern, Lubroth said, is the appearance in China and Viet Nam of a variant virus apparently able to sidestep the defences provided by existing vaccines.
In Viet Nam, which suspended its springtime poultry vaccination campaign this year, most of the northern and central parts of the country -- where H5N1 is endemic -- have been invaded by the new virus strain, known as H5N1 - 2.3.2.1.
High alert
Viet Nam's veterinary services are on high alert and reportedly considering a novel, targeted vaccination campaign this fall. Virus circulation in Viet Nam poses a direct threat to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia as well as endangering the Korean peninsula and Japan further afield. Wild bird migration can also spread the virus to other continents.
"The general departure from the progressive decline observed in 2004-2008 could mean that there will be a flareup of H5N1 this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their backyard," Lubroth said.
The countries where H5N1 is still firmly entrenched – Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam – are likely to face the biggest problems but no country can consider itself safe, he said.
"Preparedness and surveillance remain essential," Lubroth underlined. "This is no time for complacency. No one can let their guard down with H5N1."
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