Avian Flu Help (H5N1)

24 Egyptians Test Positive for Bird Flu

2007-03-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

A 4-year-old Egyptian boy has contracted the deadly bird flu virus, bringing to 24 the number of Egyptians who have tested positive for the disease, Health Ministry and World Health Organisation officials said on Sunday.

Around five million households in Egypt depend on poultry as a main source of food and income and the government has said this makes it unlikely the disease can be eradicated.

Read the entire story . . .

Mild H5N1 Found in Ohio, USA birds

2006-10-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Northern pintail birds in Ohio have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. government said on Saturday, adding to recent cases in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan.

"Initial tests confirm that these wild bird samples do not contain the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa," the USDA said in a statement.

Read the entire story . . .

EU Considers Europe-Wide Bird Flu Plan

2006-02-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

The EU governments on Monday discussed ways to combat bird flu, including a Europe-wide program to vaccinate poultry, as the lethal H5N1 bird flu virus has spread to six European Union countries.

France - the EU's largest poultry producer - became the latest EU country to report H5N1 cases last week, joining Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.

In Paris, French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand urged consumers to keep eating poultry - and foie gras - insisting that commercially farmed birds remained safe

Read the entire story

India: Government's steps to contain Bird Flu

2006-02-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

The government in India has taken immediate steps with orders to slaughter poultry in a 3 km radius where the infection has been spotted. More from NDTV

Nearly 40,000 to about 100,000 chickens have reportedly been affected during the last few weeks in poultry farms along the Maharashtra-Gujarat border.

In the Capital, the Cabinet Secretary has called for an emergency meeting and medical teams have been rushed to Nandurbar. Anees Ahmed, Maharashtra Minister for Animal Husbandry has confirmed that these are indeed cases of bird flu. A team of over two hundred veterinary doctors and specialists have been sent to areas in the state where poultry is reared on a large scale. Officials said there is no cause for alarm and they are taking measures to put a preventive plan in place. So far the infection has been limited to only chickens and not a single human case has been reported.

India confirms first bird flu case

2006-02-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

From CNN's report

A federal health ministry official said there were no reports of human infections.
State husbandry minister Anees Ahmed said tests had confirmed the presence of the H5N1 avian flu virus in some of the dead chickens in Nandurbar district, about 450 km (280 miles) north of Mumbai, the country's bustling commercial capital.Samples sent to a government laboratory in central Bhopal town had confirmed bird flu....
At least 60 percent of India's one-billion plus people live in rural areas close to their livestock, just like in many other parts of Asia, raising the risks of the bird flu virus infecting people.
Poultry farming is particularly popular in Maharashtra. There are 52 poultry farms in Nandurbar area, officials said.

Deadliest form of bird flu found in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria

2006-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

Scientists have confirmed that wild swans in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria have tested positive for the deadly strain of bird flu.

More than 20 swans in the three countries have died from the H5N1 strain which experts say was probably brought by cold weather in the Balkans.

Read the entire story

Avian Flu Gets to Italy, confirmed

2006-02-11T05:35:00.000-08:00

17 Swans died, and tests carried out on 2 carcasses are positive for H5N1

Italy kinds of panik, as the news says 'its the most virulent strain, and it
can be transmitted to humans'

But the health minister tries to be reassuring, says that in Italy birds
have been vaccinated

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/b/dirette/sezioni/cronaca/aviaria/aviaria/index.html

French Woman Tests Negative for Bird Flu

2006-01-23T01:02:00.000-08:00

A French woman tested for bird flu in a southern French hospital after returning from Turkey does not have the disease, the health ministry has said.

Two rounds of tests were carried out on Sunday to rule out the presence of the deadly H5N1 virus, it said.

The woman had spent two weeks in Turkey, but in a region not known to have been affected.

Read the entire story

Indonesia: Bird flu confirmed in deaths of 2 children

2006-01-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

A laboratory in Hong Kong has confirmed the H5N1 strain of bird flu killed two children from the same family this month, a senior official at the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The two children come from West Java province. Indonesia has now had 14 confirmed deaths from bird flu, said the official, Hariadi Wibisono, director of control of animal-borne diseases at the ministry, and five cases where patients have survived.

Reuters

USA: Law School Hosts Avian Flu Symposium

2006-01-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

More than 250 scientists, lawyers, first-responders, and other individuals concerned about the possibilities of an influenza pandemic filled Westminster Hall on Jan. 13 for the School of Law's day-long symposium "Avian Flu: What Can We Do?" The symposium at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) brought together more than 23 national avian flu experts to discuss problems related to the avian flu and create partnerships to fight the threat of a pandemic flu outbreak. Panel discussions included the basic science of influenza, vaccine development, quarantine and isolation, antivirals, the role of institutions, the role of government, and the role of practitioners. (Source: UMB News)

Some key points noted at the symposium are:

1) the challenge is to devise a test to predict whether a strain will shift or drift, and then to develop a vaccine that addresses the specific virus.

2) the need to bring 21st -century technology to vaccine manufacturing through the use of disposable plastic bags instead of eggs to grow the flu cells.

3) develop a computerized model of emergency service response to epidemics which can be used as a tool for planning and research.

4) the need to improve the immune response through mass immunzation sessions at schools and other educational institutions

5) availability of relief personnel at agencies for extended overload situations and communications systems with the ability to handle the load of an EMS pandemic response.

6) the need for a flexible and robust interface between EMS and public health officials withthe aim of educating each side about the other's capabilities, strategies, and limits as part of a county's infectious disease response plans

Mercy Corps: Avian Influenza Task Force Formed

2006-01-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Mercy Corps has created an agency-wide Avian Influenza Task Force (AITF) in response to the growing threat of avian influenza around the world, and especially in developing nations where the agency works. Mercy Corps' task force has begun dialogue within the organization to help staff understand the nature of the threat, prepare for possible scenarios and protect themselves, their families and the communities the agency serves. The organization is formulating a strategy for the threat, including measures for program response, staff care and advocacy. Read More .....

Source: Mercy Corps

Antiviral Drugs Weak Defense Against Bird Flu, Study Suggests

2006-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Amids streams of 'pro Tamilflu' propaganda press releases in the news, this story
gives a different angle on pharmaceutical antiviral products

"If you're going to use these neuraminidase inhibitors, you shouldn't be using them as a single solution," says lead researcher Dr. Tom Jefferson, coordinator of the Cochrane Vaccines Field in Rome. "You should also use public health measures."

Read story

Iraq: Suspected Bird Flu Case Ruled Out by WHO

2006-01-20T04:28:00.000-08:00

The first suspected case of H5N1 avian flu in Iraq has been determined not to be a case, the World Health Organization said yesterday. The suspected case was a teenager who died Tuesday after an illness of a couple of weeks. The girl lived in a Kurdish area of northern Iraq near the border with Turkey. (Source: Edmonton Sun)

“We requested information from our eastern Mediterranean office, based in Cairo, which was following this up, and they’ve told us that it was mistakenly identified as a suspect bird flu case and they’ve ruled it out.” spokeswoman Maria Cheng said from Geneva.

When the suspected bird flu case in Iraq was first reported by Reuters on Wednesday, it was mentioned that the samples from Northern Iraq had been sent to Jordan (a lab in Amman) for confirmation of the samples testing positive for H5N1. At the time we noted that there was no WHO H5N1 Reference Lab or National Influenza Centers based in Jordan to conduct these tests, however, there were 3 WHO Collaborating Centers in the country where the test might have been carried out at one of them. According to the report by the WHO today, confirming that there was no Bird Flu in Iraq, Maria Cheng mentions that the information that they receieved on the Iraqi test samples were requested from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean office, based in Cairo, which was following up the case.

This suggests that the tests were performed initially at a lab in Jordan and later sent to Cairo for futher confirmation, because as we found out, there exists a WHO National Influenza Center in Egypt run by Dr Mostafa Orkhan at the Egyptian Organisation for Biological Products and Vaccines. Additionally, when we queried the WHO Collaborating Centers Database, it was revealed that there is 1 lab in Cairo specific to testing H5N1 samples which is the U.S. Naval Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3) housed at the Research Sciences Directorate near the Abbassia Fever Hospital. he NAMRU-3 lab has been titled as the "WHO Collaborating Centre for Surveillance of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases" that is headed by Capt. T.W. Sharp and some of the tasks they are responsible for are providing countries of the Region with technical expertise for early laboratory diagnosis of outbreaks associated with emerging or re-emerging bacterial, parasitic & viral infections with epidemic potential, acting as referral center for laboratory diagnosis of communicable diseases and to assist in outbreak investigation, whenever requested by WHO.

Hong Kong: H5N1-Positive Wild Bird Carcass, But No Bird Flu

2006-01-20T04:11:00.000-08:00

A dead wild bird in Hong Kong has been confirmed of positive to the virus of H5N1, announced the local authorities on Thursday, but they dismissed the fear that there is an outbreak of avian influenza in the city. However, "there's no cause of alarm," said the official, for patrol conducted in a five kilometer-radius circle had found no avian influenza on poultry farms.

Neither did further survey over Hong Kong's other poultry farms find bird flu, caused by H5N1, or poultry abnormality, the official told a news conference broadcast live. The authorities therefore decided to keep open a wetland park, where the body of the wild bird was found. Laboratory tests had confirmed that the wild bird was positive to the virus of H5N1, which has caused the bird flu now epidemic around the world. Read More ....

Source: The People's Daily

USA: Health Experts Prepare for Avian Flu

2006-01-20T04:05:00.000-08:00

A panel of six Stanford health experts discussed preparation for a pandemic, offered advice for individuals hoping to minimize their risk and debated how great a threat avian flu could be after the screening of a PBS documentary in Fairchild Auditorium last night. The presentation took an alarmist tone at points.

“The general consensus among scientists who are studying this is that it is not a matter of if a pandemic will happen, but when,” said panel moderator Microbiology and Immunology Prof. Lucy Tompkins, after the documentary.

When asked to offer an estimate of how many could be infected, Tompkins told the audience that an outbreak could compare to the 1918 bird flu that killed more than 20 million people across the world, a number greater than total dead from shots fired in World War One. Read More ....

Source: The Stanford Daily

The Netherlands: Explanation of ST Score on 30 H5N1 Strain Set.

2006-01-19T07:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a useful explanation of the 30 H5N1 strain set that was generated by Rudi Cilibrasi that was blogged earlier in the week where Dr. Paul Vitanyi, a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Amsterdam, clarifies what exactly Rudi meant by the 'overall S(T) score of 0.990241 when he mentioned -- 'the computer believed it had figured out the structure nearly perfectly.' and states in a comment left at Global Voices Online that:

the tree represents in a qualitative sense the relative distances between the virii genomes in the supplied distance matrix almost perfectly. This translates into true relatedness among the virii insofar as the distances have captured it. The used distance is NCD which has previously successfully determined phylogeny trees from the full mtDNA of species like mammals and fungi. So there is reason to believe its output is dependable but it is certainly not infallible. In that sense the NCD distance is comparable to allignment distance, but it is less sensitive to position of substring sequences in the sequence.

Vietnam: H5N1 Resistance to Tamiflu

2006-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

A small case series from Vietnam has highlighted oseltamivir resistance in Influenza A (H5N1) virus. With the inexorable march of avain flu westwards and the continuing deaths it is causing, the New England Journal of Medicine published this sobering case series recently.

The paper describes the outcomes of eight Veitnamese patients who were infected with Influenza A (H5N1) virus and who received oseltamivir as treatment. The surviving patients had rapid declines in the viral load to undetectable levels during treatment. The patients who died with oseltamivir resistant strains however showed increased viral RNA loads in throat swabs. Read More ....

Source: Fleming Forum

Call For Clinical Trials to Test Antiviral Properties of Essential Oils

2006-01-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

The body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of natural botanicals against a great variety of viruses is growing. Over twenty years ago, German scientists found extracts of more than 100 species of the Lamiaceae family to have antiviral effects. This discovery lead to and increase in the examination of essential oils in Europe for the treatment of viral infections.

Essential oils from many plant families have now been demonstrated to have antiviral properties. Interestingly, different plant families exhibit varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the virus strain. This is due to the particular molecular structures found in each type of oil, which penetrate physical entities to varying degrees (different tissues, cell walls, mucous membranes, etc). The effect on each virus strain depends also on the virus structure (enveloped, non-enveloped, molecular symmetry, etc.)

Certainly, one of the reasons for oils' effectiveness en vivo is their lipophillic character - essential oils are easily absorbed into mammalian tissues, where they may produce the greatest results. In fact, when studying the anti-viral effects of essential oils, researchers found that normal cells seemed to acquire a special resistance to viral penetration, though the mechanism for this effect is not yet known.

Melissa and the Herpes Virus

One of the Lamiaceae plants studied, Melissa (Melissa officinalis - also known as Lemon Balm), was shown particularly efficacious against the herpes virus (HSV). Doctor Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical University of Munich, has even reported that a one-time application of Melissa oil led to a complete remission of HSV lesions. A cream medication for Herpes outbreaks, who's active ingredient is an extract of Melissa, is now sold in Germany under the name Lomaherpan. Use of Melissa essential oil itself may be just as effective - the oil can be applied directly to the lesions (or diluted to 10% in carrier if sensitivity is noted) to speed healing. Further occurrences can be prevented by applying oil to the area when sensations signal an eminent outbreak - repeating this protocol 3 or 4 times may cause total remission.

Other essential oils found effective against the Herpes virus include bergamot, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree.

Antiviral Components of Oils

The list of essential oils exhibiting antiviral effects is extensive: Melissa (as above), tea tree, juniper, eucalyptus, thyme, palmarosa, lavender, rosemary, clove, laurel, cinnamon bark, anise, rose, lemongrass, geranium, neroli, bergamot, clary sage, and dill. The antiviral effect of an essential oil is due to particular components of the oil - some oils will work just as effectively on a particular infection as another, because they contain similar amounts of a certain component. The components of essential oils showing antiviral activity, and the oils in which they can be found, are as follows (from K. Schnaubelt, Ph.D. - Advanced Aromatherapy, p. 36):

Anethol - found in Anise

Alpha-Sabines - found in Tea Tree, Laurel, and other oils

Beta-Caryophyllene - found in Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme Linalool, and other oils

Carvone - found in Dill

Cinnamic aldehyde - found in Cinnamon Bark

Citral - found in Melissa, Lemongrass and other oils

Citronellol - found in Rose and Geranium

Eugenol - found in Clove

Gamma-Terpinene - Found in Juniper, Eucalyptus, Niaouli, Tea Tree and other oils

Linalol - found in Lavender and Neroli

Linalyl acetate - found in Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot and other oils

Limited In-Vivo Data

Good studies of application of these essential oils in cases of illness are difficult to come by, as infecting people with viruses in the laboratory to subsequently be treated with aromatics would be a difficult process at best. The oils and components above have mostly shown effectivenessin-vitro, though tests also indicate that the anti-viral effect should occur in-vivo as well. As with Melissa, it has been HSV that has been most thoroughly examined, because of the relative simplicity of doing so. But there is nothing particularly special about the herpes virus, and proper oil/pathogen paring should prove as effective.

There are some noted case studies by professional aromatherapists. Of importance in these studies is the oil/symptom relationship. Essential oils from plants of the Myrtaceae family - notably Eucalyptus Radiata and Tea Tree - and Ravensara (also high in Eucalyptol) seem to have helped in cases with respiratory symptoms. For the lower respiratory tract, Hyssop decumbens (from the same plant family as Melissa) has been of interest. Essential oils for such cases may be used either in a diffuser, being taken at regular intervals, or through massage, diluted in a carrier oil.

Conclusion

Because of the difficulty in many cases of illness in determining the exact virus type involved, more specific application cannot be given. Certainly, in cases of HSV, Melissa has been shown effective in a number of studies. For respiratory infections, Eucalyptus and Ravensara have been used with success, and can be safely used as an adjunct to regular medical care. These oils may support one's recovery on a physiologic level - essential oils also play a part in uplifting emotions, which may also speed healing, or at least improve mental outlook during the healing process. For such instances, one may simply find the essential oil or combination that one finds pleasant, calming, and/or uplifting. PLEASE NOTE: In no cases, however, should self-treatment with essential oils be used in place of professional medical care where signs/symptoms of infectious illness are present.
EzineArticles Expert Author Misty Cech

Misty Rae Cech, ND, is a Naturopath and Yoga Teacher practicing in Boulder, Colorado. She regularly employs pure wildcrafted and organic essential oils, such as lavender oil, with her clients.

About Oils

The Beijing Conference

2006-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Funds promised to fight bird flu

By Ben Blanchard
BEIJING (Reuters) - International donors pledged $1.9 billion on Wednesday for a global fund to combat bird flu, while Iraq tested a dead teenage girl for the virus.

The funding promised at the end of an international conference in Beijing was well in excess of an initial target set by the World Bank to raise at least $1.2 billion.

Conference host China reported that a 35-year-old woman in the southwest of the country had died of bird flu. The woman, a poultry slaughterer, would be the country's sixth human death from the virus if the case is confirmed.

The World Bank has estimated that a pandemic lasting a year could cost the global economy up to $800 billion. Across the globe, millions could die if the H5N1 avian flu virus mutates just enough to pass easily among people.

"This is not charity. This is not just solidarity. This is self-defense," EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou told a news conference in Beijing.

Of the $1.9 billion pledged, about $900 million would be in the form of loans, and the rest in grants, he added.

The US pledged over $300 million, the EU $250 million.

Europe saw its first deaths last week, as Turkey reported four children dead in an outbreak of 21 cases in the country. Coming on the heels of the reported outbreak in Romania, we can see that eastern and southern Europe will be a place to keep an eye on in February, traditionally the worst month for flu outbreaks. Similarly, Iraq reported a possible death from the virus.

But what's scary about the Iraqi death is that it didn't occur on a farm, but near a lake known as a refuge for migratory birds from Turkey, lending credence to the theory that Africa and South Asia will be another target of the virus, unlike past avian flu pandemics.

(Cross-posted to: Simply Left Behind)

Avian Flu, Bird Flu, Iraq, China, Turkey

Elderberries extract effects positive against Birdflu

2006-01-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Elderberries could combat bird flu
1.42PM, Wed Jan 18 2006

A extract from black elderberries could be used to combat the bird flu virus, according to research.

A study looked at whether the food supplement Sambucol could combat the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu when added to canine cells in laboratory tests.

The team, from research institute Retroscreen Virology, found that the elderberry-based product was at least 99 per cent effective at reducing the virus in the cells.

But experts warned that many more studies were needed to find out whether the formula was effective in combating H5N1 in humans.

The virulent H5N1 strain of avian flu has already killed more than 80 people, mainly in Asia, after they contracted it from close contact with birds.

But there are fears that the virus could mutate into a form that is easily passed from human to human, leading to a flu pandemic which could potentially kill millions worldwide.

The main medical solutions in case of a pandemic include a vaccine, but this could take up to six months to develop once the strain emerges.

Countries around the world are stockpiling antiviral drugs which can reduce the length and severity of flu symptoms

ITV

The environmental dimension behind the avian flu pandemic

2006-01-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

UNEP complementing the human medical and research front

The emergence of avian flu as a challenge to human health is clearly a reflection of major changes taking place in the environment, underlined by Shafqat Kakakhel, Deputy-Executive-Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the occasion of the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Influenza in Beijing (17-18.1.2006).

Avian flu is not the only one disease with an environmental health background - a startling number of similar vector-born diseases have emerged in recent years - Lassa, SARS, Ebola, Marburg and recently the threat of an avian flu pandemic. A common factor is that such diseases evolve when humans intensively interact with the natural environment.

We know that migratory birds may be one vector, but they are not the cause of avian flu. Nor are they likely to be the only vector”, underlined Shafqat Kakakhel.

Human-induced movements of poultry, or captured wild or captive-bred birds, and of humans themselves, seem to be an equal or greater threat. Live animal markets which facilitate millions of potential cross-infections are also a major but, until recently, less recognized threat.

“This is why we must rise to the global health challenge of avian flu. What can we do on the environmental front to complement the human medical and research response?” He underlined the need for support in answering key questions, such as:

- How does the flu virus behave in wild birds that catch it, and how long can it survive in the aquatic habitats that are breeding, staging and non-breeding (wintering) grounds for the birds?

- Which migratory routes and specific locations can we pinpoint as posing the highest levels of risk both to and from migrating birds, including globally threatened species?

“By answering these and other questions the environmental community should be able to complement the developing of a global surveillance or “early warning” system” on avian flue, he said. UNEP HQ and the Secretariat of the UNEP-based Convention on Migratory Species have already begun to work towards such a system, taking advantage of the Scientific Task Force on Avian Flue, which was set up last year by CMS and several other inter-governmental and NGO bodies.

“The real danger is complacency. In fact we have never been in a better position to consolidate our previous gains and to move on to add health, wealth and a better environment to our world,” concluded UNEP’s Deputy Executive Director.

UN Environment Dept

Iraq: Girl Dies in the North, Tests for Bird Flu Underway

2006-01-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

Last week (January 12th), it was reported that the Iraqi government had issued the highest Avian Influenza warning level on in northern Iraq where the Zaytun unit is deployed while Donga, published a photo which showed a Korean armored vehicle being sterilized against bird flu. Yesterday, after being ill for more than 2 weeks, a 14-year-old girl died in Raniya, a town located close to the Turkish and Iranian borders. According to a report filed by Reuters today:

Health officials in northern Iraq have sent samples to Jordan for testing for the bird flu virus H5N1 after a 14-year-old girl died in the city of Sulaimaniya, the regional health minister said on Wednesday. A central government health official in Baghdad confirmed a team was investigating.

Apparently, there seems to be no official WHO National Influenza Centers in Jordan specific to H5N1 testing or research, however according to the WHO Collaborating Centers Database, there are 3 WHO collaborating centers in Jordan which assist the WHO and countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for Diabetes Research, Education and Primary Health Care, Transfusion Medicine and Nursing Development.

Which center actually is qualified to carrying out tests on the samples sent from Iraq still remains to be seen, further more it is currently unknown as to whether it is a WHO center that is actually carrying out the tests or not. Personally, one would tend to fall under the impression that the testing is being done at a WHO recognized lab or center because as per WHO policy on Avian Influenza cases or deaths, they do not issue statements or update their global H5N1 spread grid unless tests have been confirmed by a WHO lab. Once more information is obtained on the lab or center where the Iraq samples are being tested, it will be blogged here, just like the information on the WHO Hong Kong lab which was supposedly carrying out tests to confirm the results of H5N1 samples from Indonesia. If there are any readers out there who are interested in sharing any more details that they may have on the above, please leave a comment below or send an email to avainfluhelp at gmail.com

Indonesia: Brother of Bird Flu Victim Dies

2006-01-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

A three-year-old boy suffering symptoms of bird flu died earlier today (Tuesday), days after his sister passed away and tested positive for the virus, a health official said. Initial tests on the boy were not conclusive and will be repeated, Ministry of Health official Hariyadi Wibisono told AFP. Further tests were being carried out at a Hong Kong laboratory accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) to confirm the results. Read More ....

Source: AFP via The Jakarta Post

I'm guessing that the HongKong lab which is where the test results will confirmed is located in Kowloon and run by Dr Wilina Lim (Fax: +852 2319 5989) who is part of the Government Virus Unit. Dr. Lim's lab is the only one in Hong Kong that is recognized as a National Influenza Center and accredited by WHO. Have sent an email and a fax to Dr. Lim in the hope that he might confirm that tests of the latest H5N1 victim in Indonesia is being carried out under his guidance and will also be able to shed some light on the test results of the latest death.

Am not expecting an answer anytime soon nor am I expecting him to release information that some might consider 'confidential' but if there is something that he mentions in terms of diseases prevention, you'll be sure to see in on here. It is quite obvious that we need more information from the test results to be made transparent by such labs such as recent sequence data, tree subset selections, different H5N1 strains and better interpretations for existing tree charts that would help volunteering researchers and scientists like Rudi and Dr. Nimaan who have come forward to assist us all in terms of technical interpretations and discussions.

Russia: Mecca Pilgrims to be Flown Home Over Bird Flu Fears

2006-01-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Russian authorities will fly Muslim pilgrims from Saudi Arabia back home on free charter flights to save them from traveling through areas hit by bird flu. On their way to Mecca they passed through two Turkish provinces where cases have been registered. Russian state-run carrier Aeroflot will organize 20 Il-86 flights to fly back the Russian pilgrims starting from tomorrow (Jan 18th). Read More ....

Source: MosNews via The Flu Clinic

Israel: Bird Flu Scare Proves Unfounded

2006-01-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

The lab at Hadassah University Medical Center found on Monday night that a 50-year-old east Jerusalem man who developed flu symptoms and who raises chickens - five of which died in the past few days - does not have the deadly avian flu strain. In making the announcement the Health Ministry said it was waiting for confirmation from the infections diseases lab at Sheba Medical Center, but expected that the results would be the same. Read More ....

Source: The Jerusalem Post

Switzerland: Extra Cash Pledged to Combat Bird Flu

2006-01-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

On the eve of a major bird flu donor conference in Beijing, Switzerland has committed a further SFr1.1 million ($860,000) towards controlling the virus in Asia. The contribution comes on top of the SFr4.8 million earmarked in September to help countries fight bird flu and avert a possible human pandemic. Read More ....

Source: SwissInfo

Systemic spread of avian influenza virus in cats

2006-01-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

Researchers at Erasmus Medical Center have demonstrated systemic spread of avian influenza virus in cats infected by respiratory, digestive, and cat-to-cat contact.
The paper by Rimmelzwaan et al., "Influenza A virus (H5N1) infection in cats causes systemic disease with potential novel routes of virus spread within and between hosts," appears in the January issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

News Medical Net

Turkey: Avian Influenza and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project

2006-01-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

"Humans are not very susceptible to the disease, but if infected with the Asian H5N1 strain, they could exhibit a high case fatality rate. The geographical spread of HPAI, the human dimension, and the potential enormous social and economic impact are unprecedented. Economic losses to the Asian poultry sector alone are estimated to date at around $10 billion. Despite control measures the disease continues to spread, causing further economic losses and threatening the livelihood of hundreds of millions of livestock farmers, jeopardizing smallholder entrepreneurship and commercial poultry production, and seriously impeding regional and international trade, and market opportunities. The rural poor, who rely for a larger share of their income on poultry, have been particularly hard hit with income losses."

Get Pdf on Docuticker

China: International Donors' Conference on Bird Flu Opens in Beijing

2006-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Disease experts urged rich countries at a donors conference Tuesday to come up with the US$1.5 billion (euro1.4 billion) that the World Bank says is needed to tackle bird flu and prepare for a potential pandemic in humans. The international donors' conference in Beijing is focused on raising money to fight bird flu, which has killed at least 79 people in Asia and Turkey since 2003. A World bank official earlier told The Associated Press that donors were expected to pledge some US$1 billion (euro822 million). Read More ....

Source: China Daily

National Bird Flu Coorination Center Established in Turkey

2006-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Deputy Secretary, Hasim Ogut, said the Bird Flu National Coordination Center will be the only department to inform the public about the disease.

Ogut has informed that the ministry together with the health ministry formed the bird flu centers following cases of the illness that occurred in Turkey. These centers in both ministries will work in close contact and will analyze and assess the situation together.

Read the entire story here.

Poulty and Egg Sales Plummet in Republic of Georgia

2006-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

TBILISI, January 16 (RIA Novosti) - Poultry and egg sales in Georgia have plummeted by 90% in the last few days due to the population's fears of a bird flu outbreak, the parliamentary committee for healthcare and social issues said Monday.

Georgia borders on Turkey, in which bird flu has killed four people according to the latest figures, and where outbreaks of the virus have been registered in 27 provinces.

Read the entire story here

Greek Army Veterinarians Deployed to Fight Bird Flu

2006-01-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

The UPI reports that the government of Greece has mobilized 200 army veterinarians throughout the country to help with defenses against bird flu, which has killed four people in Turkey.

The Agriculture Ministry also announced $1.2 million is being sent to regional authorities to spend on gloves, uniforms, masks, goggles, disinfectant and other supplies, and said three 10-member mobile units of experts are ready for dispatch to areas reporting suspect cases.

Read the entire story here

Iraq: Government Issues Highest Avian Influenza Alert

2006-01-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

After neighboring countries reported additional AI virus victims, including three dead in Turkey who tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the Iraqi government issued the highest AI warning level on January 12 in northern Iraq where the Zaytun unit is deployed. As one might recognize from the image below, it is a Korean armored vehicle that is being sterilized.

(Zaytun unit soldiers stationed in Iraq are sterilizing an armored vehicle that just came back from a field civilian operation to stop the spread of avian influenza (AI) yesterday)

Source: Donga via The Flu Clinic

France: Installations of Thermal Imaging Cameras at Airports to Detect Avian Flu

2006-01-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

France is installing infra red cameras at the nations major airports to scan arriving passengers for elevated body temperature, according to the camera manufacturer press release. This is a precaution to have people checked for fever, which could be the result of avian flu infection or other contagious disease.The French Ministry of Health has ordered systems that will be deployed in six airports throughout France.

The systems will be used to quickly detect the presence of fever in passengers arriving from certain destinations. A major US technology manufacturing company has also ordered systems for use at its overseas manufacturing facilities. The systems will be used to identify fever in arriving employees. Both customers chose the FLIR ThermaCam(R) A20(TM) system, which offers software specifically designed for this application. Read More ....

Source: FLIR Systems via Technocrat

Alaska: On the Lookout as Avian Flu Spreads

2006-01-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

Beneath a dim morning sky, Jonathan Runstadler trudged across the ice with a long fiberglass tube, some gardening tools and a smattering of plastic lab bottles. Months earlier, summer breezes had carried wild birds from Asia to this little pond. Now, with the temperature at 9 degrees, Runstadler bored through the frozen surface in search of the seeds of a pandemic.

In Alaska, scientists such as Runstadler are searching for traces of H5N1 in bird droppings left from the summer breeding season. They could be preserved in now-frozen water or soil.

"It's just a matter of time before H5N1 shows up everywhere," said George M. Happ, a UA biologist who is coordinating the state's pursuit of the virus. Read More ....

Source: Los Angeles Times via ADN

China: Nation Must Remain Alert to Bird Flu Threat

2006-01-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

The bird flu death toll on the Chinese mainland has risen to five, after two more people died of the H5N1 virus last week. The situation is also very serious in Turkey, where 18 people have reportedly been infected with the virus, of whom two have died. From November 16 last year, when the first human infection on the mainland was reported, there have been eight confirmed cases of avian influenza.

Two more deaths are a warning that the situation is still serious, and that we must never slacken efforts in monitoring and preventative work. Xinhua News Agency quoted a notice from the Ministry of Health saying no contact with wild birds or domestic fowl was reported in some instances of infection at home and abroad. This indicates there may be unknown sources of infection, which has made monitoring and preventative work even more difficult. Read More ....

Source: China Daily

US: Madison Lab Monitors Bird Flu

2006-01-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

Scientists at a little-known laboratory on the city's west side are preparing for their largest ever project: They're helping lead the nation's effort to watch for bird flu. Hon Ip and other workers at the National Wildlife Health Center already are testing some samples taken from live birds in Alaska.

Ip and a handful of lab workers plan to test 20,000 samples from birds, mostly from Alaska but also from other areas, with most of the samples coming this fall. The center also expects to receive dead birds from around the country to study for signs of bird flu. Read More ....

Source: AP via Duluth News Tribune

Indonesia: Girl Dies of Bird Flu, Local Test Shows

2006-01-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

A 13-year-old Indonesian girl died of bird flu at the weekend while two others from her family have tested positive for the H5N1 virus, a health ministry official said on Monday, citing the results of local tests. If confirmed by outside laboratories recognized by the World Health Organization, the case would take total known deaths in Indonesia from the avian flu to 13 and the number who have had bird flu to 20. Read More....

Source: Reuters

Turkey: Another Two Children Confirmed to Have H5N1

2006-01-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

Another two human bird flu cases have been announced in the Turkish city of Van. Two children, identified as 15 year old Fatma Ozcan, and her five-year-old brother Muhammet Ozcan, are in critical condition with the H5N1 bird flu virus, but it isn't clear whether the brother and sister have contacted the virus from sick fowl. Read More ....

Source: CRI

Bronchitis, not Bird Flu, in Germany

2006-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

BERLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A man in Germany tested negative after being admitted to hospital with suspected symptoms of bird flu, a city official said on Sunday.

The spokesman for the Cologne city government said the man, born in 1932, had recently returned to Germany from Turkey and was admitted to hospital after suffering from a high fever but had been cleared after a full range of tests.

He said he was apparently suffering from severe bronchitis.

Read the entire story

Belgian TV Journalist Tests Negative for H5N1

2006-01-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

Preliminary tests on a man suspected of having the lethal H5N1 bird flu virus in Belgium show he is not infected with the disease, health officials say.
The man - an unnamed TV journalist - developed flu-like symptoms after he returned from a visit to Turkey.

Doctors at St Pierre hospital in Brussels said the tests excluded H5N1 100% - the patient had a seasonal cold.

Read the Engire Story

US: Health Officials Say Two Flu Drugs Unlikely to Work

2006-01-15T03:36:00.000-08:00

U.S. doctors should stop using two medicines to treat this season's influenza because the dominant strain has become resistant to the drugs and they are unlikely to work, health officials said on Saturday. The alert about antiviral pills amantadine and rimantadine applies to the seasonal influenza, not the H5N1 avian flu strain that experts fear could mutate and cause a global pandemic.

Tests of 120 samples of the H3N2 flu strain -- the major one causing flu illness in the United States -- showed it was resistant to amantadine and rimantadine in 91 percent of cases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Julie Gerberding said. Only 11 percent of cases were resistant to the two drugs during the last flu season. Doctors instead should prescribe either of two newer medicines, Tamiflu or Relenza, which still fight the strain, she said. Read More ....

Source: Reuters Science via Carol

Scotland: Shot Duck Tests Positive for Bird Flu

2006-01-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

A government investigation designed to establish whether bird flu has reached Britain has found that a duck shot in Scotland was suffering from a strain of the disease, it emerged last night. Scientists who conducted a sweeping check on hundreds of birds rounded up across Britain found that a wild mallard shot in West Lothian last month was the only one that tested positive for avian influenza. Read More ....

Source: Scotsman

Pakistan: 12 Field Labs Set Up to Detect Bird Flu

2006-01-15T02:03:00.000-08:00

Twelve field laboratories have been established in the country’s poultry concentrated areas to diagnose any virus in birds, said Dr Muhammad Afzal, the Animal Husbandry commissioner of the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, on Saturday.

Talking on a PTV programme, Afzal said that a lab in the National Agriculture Centre was also working for the entire SAARC region. The laboratory would start training experts from SAARC countries from January 23, he added. He said an extraneous surveillance and monitoring system had been devised to ensure immediate detection of any virus in birds. Read More ....

Source: Daily Times

UK: Companies Bracing for Bird Flu

2006-01-15T02:01:00.000-08:00

Several of Britain's biggest companies are making contingency plans for a bird flu pandemic that could deal a wicked blow to the economy, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported. Having staff work from home, transferring operations offshore and distributing "disease packs" to airline passengers are among the measures in the cards.

The Sunday Telegraph said it surveyed "dozens" of large British companies and found that "more than 80 percent" had made plans, mainly on projections that 25 percent of the population could be infected. Norwich Union, a major insurance provider, was reportedly planning to transfer claims calls to India and Sri Lanka - an option that is being encouraged by global accounting firm and consultancy KPMG. Read More ....

Source: Channel News Asia

Russia: Avian Flu Vaccine is Invented

2006-01-15T01:59:00.000-08:00

A Russian team of researches have invented a vaccine that effectively generates an immune resistance against avian flu at birds. The scientists believe the world could potentially see a major, wide-scale outbreak of bird flu within the next couple of years. Developing a vaccine against such a pandemic strain of the virus would take about nine months, they said. Russia could begin large-scale production of a vaccine to prevent bird flu by April, a senior official from the Russian Flu Research Center declared. Read More ....

Source: Sofia News Agency

Black-market bird flu drug seized in raids

2006-01-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Government investigators have carried out raids to dismantle a multi-million-pound international black market in fake and stolen versions of the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

The world’s biggest seizure of suspect Tamiflu took place last week in London, where officers from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confiscated 5,000 illegally imported packets of the drug worth an estimated £500,000.

Separately, the MHRA is investigating a company based in Greater Manchester that has been advertising cheap antiviral drugs under the name Tamiflu with a 1,500% mark-up. The agency began its inquiries after being passed information by The Sunday Times.

The raids come amid rising concern over the spread of avian flu. The Department of Health is to commission an advertising agency to spend £350,000 making a television advertisement to be shown if bird flu starts to spread between humans. It will warn people how to avoid infection.

Times Online

Cannot rule out person to person spread, says WHO

2006-01-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu could be passing from person to person in Turkey even though health experts have no evidence that the virus is spreading that way, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said on Thursday.

Guenael Rodier, the WHO's head of communicable diseases and response, said experts cannot rule out person-to-person infection because "we haven't documented each and every case properly".

"When you have a mother and a child, and both get sick, you don't know if they both were exposed to the chickens or if the mother got sick because she was caring for the child," Rodier said. "It leaves room for some question marks. We have not documented every transmission story."

Mail and Guardian

Avian flu maps in Google Earth

2006-01-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

The visualization of avian flu outbreaks is the first online map, to my knowledge, of each of the more than 1800 individual outbreaks of avian flu in birds that have been reported over the past two years. It also provides a geographical overview of confirmed human cases of infection with the H5N1 influenza virus.

DeclanButler

Indonesia's confirmed bird flu deaths rise to 12

2006-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

A laboratory in Hong Kong has confirmed Indonesia's 12th human death from bird flu, a senior Health Ministry official said on Saturday.

Hariadi Wibisono said the latest results from the laboratory, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation, showed the H5N1 virus had killed a 29-year-old Indonesian woman who died this week in a Jakarta hospital.She had been in contact with dead chickens before falling ill, hospital officials have said.

"We are still waiting on the other pending result, that of the 39-year-old man," Wibisono told Reuters.

Local tests have shown that man also died of bird flu earlier this month.

WHO-recognised laboratories have now confirmed 12 deaths and five other cases in Indonesia where patients survived.

The H5N1 virus cannot pass easily between humans at the moment, but experts fear it could develop that ability and set off a global pandemic which might kill millions of people.

It has killed more than 70 people in Southeast Asia and China since 2003. Cases have also emerged in Turkey, the first human infections outside East Asia.

Sunday Observer

More on the sequences from Turkey

2006-01-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

The official WHO case count from Turkey has now risen to 18, matching the largest outbreak (Hong Kong 1997) to date for H5N1. A major question is whether there is something different about the Turkish virus.

The news dribbling out about the sequencing of the Turkish isolates is not encouraging but also not surprising. As I noted several days ago, the proposition that the hemagglutinin protein of the isolates is "very close" to the avian sequences is not very informative because extremely small changes can cause important changes in host range, as studies by Stevens et al. on the 1918 HA show. That paper described studies with glycan arrays (see previous post) that looked at the binding of various viral HAs to various linkages of sialic acid, the cellular receptor. Sialic acid is linked in two forms, one characteristic of bird intestinal cells, one characteristic of human lower respiratory tract cells, although we now know that humans have avian-type linkages in sialic acid in their upper respiratory tract. Most avian viruses bind well to the avian receptor, human viruses to the human linked receptor, but the HA protein from a case from New York's second wave in the 1918 pandemic showed some affinity for both humans and birds.

From
EffectMeasure Blog

The Netherlands: Different Set of 30 H5N1 Strains Generated in Tree Format

2006-01-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Rudi Cilibrasi, a fellow contributor to this blog and a Machine Learning researcher in the Netherlands wrote CompLearn which is an open-source data mining toolkit and is using it for H5N1 analysis. He has generated a different set of 30 H5N1 strains in tree format (PDF version / PostScript version), using CompLearn, which demonstrates that the avian flu virus is mutating into a closer H2H strand which is surely a cause for concern. According to Rudi, the numbers around the edges are all very low indicating that all the viruses are pretty closely related except for the "k2" subtree that includes duckShandong0932004, duckYokohamaaq102003, and the others off to the right past "k0". You can see that it is bordered by high numbers and there are several high numbers within the subtree itself suggesting a fit that is not very close, perhaps genetically.

This suggests there may have been more intermediate steps that we might explore using different hypothetical subsets of 15-50 virii to see what the most-likely phylogeny leading up to them is. But the "k10" subtree confirms an earlier comment by Dr. Niman that the Mongolian and Novobirisk strains are very closely related. The "k11" subtree suggests that there was a transmission of virus between Korea and Japan with those very low numbers. Overall the S(T) score of 0.990241 means that the computer believes it has figured out the structure nearly perfectly. Now it's our job to figure out why.

(Suggestions for better choices of species to try are always welcome.) Rudi stresses that he would love to try more recent data and thinks that this is the most important use for this type of chart at the moment, i.e. to track which strains are going where and when new strains pop up we can match them to the nearest previously known strain in the hope that this can shed light on the epidemiology of the situation.

Rudi has clarified that the data sources for the sequence data and the distance approximation technique (read more about this on the FluWikie) were obtained from a fellow member at the Bird Flu Discussion Forum (AvianFluTalk) whose onlinse pseudonymn is "gs" and it is presumed that 'gs' extracted the data from one of the two Databases at FluWikie. Rudi was trying to determine Normalized Compression Distance, a modern more robust measure than normal multiple alignment like you get from BLAST in certain situations and more information about this is available from Paul Vitanyi on the FluWikie as well as the web or just search for/google Rudi's complete name which has a bunch of papers tagged along with examples. More importantly his measure is a lot easier to operate as it is essentially parameter-free and so is a good choice as a first approximation analysis of a medium to large group of samples of unknown relation.

On a final note, readers are kindly requested to suggest Rudi a better group of 30 samples to use in order to provide and gain more insight (please email your suggestions to cilibrar at ofb.net) to the situation.

Iran: Government Bans Passages at Esendere Border Gate

2006-01-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Iranian government has banned passage of people and vehicles from Esendere border gate in Yuksekova town of southeastern city of Hakkari until a further notice. Sources said that Iranian government banned passages due to bird flu cases seen in Turkey.

Source: TurkishPress

UK: Time Running Out to Register Poultry

2006-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Poultry owners have less than two months to register their flocks on the national Poultry Register. The poultry register has been set up to boost government and industry's ability to tackle an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu). Poultry keepers who own flocks of 50 or more birds have until 28 February 2006 to register their birds. They can do this by:

1) calling freephone number 0800 634 1112 and registering by phone
2) calling the above number and getting a registration form sent to them by post,
completing and returning it
3) downloading a form from the DEFRA website, completing and returning it

Source: DEFRA UK ( Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Lebanon: Now in the Bird Flu 'Circle of Danger'

2006-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

"Lebanon is now in a state of alert as a result of the bird flu cases reported in countries relatively close to Lebanon," said Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili reassuring that till the moment "no bird flu cases have been reported in Lebanon." Following a meeting Friday with Premier Fouad Siniora and Health Minister Mohammed Khalifeh, Sahili said "with the spread of the disease in Turkey, this means that Lebanon is in the circle of danger."

He added that there is a laboratory ready in Fanar to test bird samples. "The laboratory still receives between 50 to 100 samples daily, and there remains no trace of the bird flu disease." The minister called on all citizens who raise chicken and birds to "isolate the birds in coops to prevent them from getting in contact with the migrating birds and keep them away from children." For any suspicions about bird flu cases, citizens are asked to contact the following numbers: 03-626215 and 01-848445. Read More ....

Source: The Daily Star

Finland: Health Officials Map Out Bird Flu Scenarios

2006-01-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Finland is preparing for a possible global outbreak of bird flu by stockpiling medicines, ordering vaccines, and drawing up scenarios and plans of action. Officials believe that in spite of the precautions, more than one third of Finns - over 1.8 million people - would catch the virus, and that as many as 10,000 people could die in the pandemic. In such a situation, a state of emergency would be declared, with restrictions on movement and gatherings. Emergency hospitals would be set up, and distribution of medicines would be regulated.

The scenario would be that a new virus would mutate somewhere in the world, resulting in a strain that can spread from person to person, against which humans have not developed a resistance. Emergency measures would be enacted when an outbreak occurs somewhere in the world, even if no cases of the disease are diagnosed in Finland. Merja Saarinen, chairwoman of a pandemic preparation working group of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, says that the first measure to be taken would be to assess the vaccine situation. Read More ....

Source: Helsingin Sanomat

Belgium: Man Tests Negative for Bird Flu

2006-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

A man in Belgium has tested negative for bird flu after falling ill upon his return from the Turkish province worst hit by the disease, Belgian Health Minister Rudy Demotte said on Saturday.

"The initial results of the tests would indicate that we not dealing with bird flu," Demotte told a news conference.

The man had undergone tests for the H5N1 avian flu after he checked himself into a hospital on Friday (Previous Report). He had returned the previous day from Turkey where he had traveled in the eastern province of Van.

Source: Reuters

UK: Belgium Bird Flu Probe Monitored

2006-01-14T07:17:00.000-08:00

British health officials are "closely monitoring" reports of a case of human bird flu in Belgium. Staff at the Sint Pieters Hospital, in Brussels, said they were investigating a suspected case of the disease. They fear a man who returned from an area of Turkey where bird flu is present may have contracted it.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the suspected case did not affect the level of risk to UK residents. Blood tests were being carried out after the man, who returned from Turkey two days ago, checked into hospital complaining of flu-like symptoms. The results will confirm whether the patient has contracted bird flu and whether it is the deadly H5N1 strain. Read More ....

Source: Scotsman

China: Nations Convene to Mobilize Pandemic Flu Preparedness

2006-01-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

The International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Influenza convenes in Beijing on January 17-18, with a goal of winning commitments of $1 billion or more to help combat outbreaks of bird flu and avert the emergence of a human influenza pandemic. The government of China, the World Bank and the European Commission are jointly sponsoring the meeting; donor nations and affected nations are attending.

The World Bank has conducted a study estimating the costs of preparedness at between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion. In 2005, the United States earmarked more than $50 million to help other nations control avian influenza and prepare for a possible human influenza pandemic. A U.S. delegation will attend the Beijing meeting. Read More ....

Source: The Washington File via Critt Jarvis - Global Voices Online

New Zealand: Low Risk of Bird Flu in NZ, Says Study

2006-01-14T04:15:00.000-08:00

New Zealand faces a medium risk of bird flu spreading, but Britain could be hit hard, an international study finds. British risk consultant Maplecroft has ranked 161 countries on its overall risk for a pandemic, and while New Zealand's overall risk is low, the risk rises to medium for an inability to contain an outbreak. Britain was the only Western country considered at extreme risk from the flu. It was 25th overall, but first among those countries to which the human virus is likely to spread.

Maplecroft attributed this to Britain's widespread urbanisation, high population density, and the large number of visitors to the country. Australia was assessed at low risk of not being able to control the disease, but faced a far higher risk of the virus reaching its shores and spreading. Overall, New Zealand was rated 145th out of 161 countries, behind Australia at 158. Read More ....

Source: The New Zealand Herald

Belgium: Suspected Bird Flu Case

2006-01-14T04:03:00.000-08:00

A suspected case of bird flu is being investigated in Belgium, SkyNews reported. A person has been taken to a hospital in the country after returning on Thursday from a region in Turkey hit by the killer virus. If confirmed, it would be the first case of the virus in a human in Western Europe. Read More ....

Source: Sky News via Sofia News Agency

Thailand: Scientists Developing Vaccine

2006-01-14T03:57:00.000-08:00

A group of Thai scientists is developing a bird flu vaccine for humans in a bid to boost the country's preparedness for an H5N1 influenza pandemic. Group leader Prasert Auewarakul, of Siriraj Hospital's medicine faculty, said the scientists had isolated some H5N1 virus strains from Thai patients over the past months and successfully reduced their virulence to the point where they could be used as initial prototype strains for vaccine production.

Dr Prasert said Thailand's bird flu vaccine development project, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), would allow the country to have its own defences against a bird flu outbreak instead of waiting for help from the WHO. He said the vaccine prototype would be ready for animal testing in the next four or five months. Read More ....

Source: Bangkok Post News

Russia: Aeroflot Holds Bird Flu Drill.

2006-01-14T03:51:00.000-08:00

Russian Airlines has held a bird flu drill – stewardesses had to isolate “an ailing passenger” during a flight without a prior warning. Cooperation between the Aeroflot crisis control center and the crew with representatives of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service was also trained, the company press service said on Friday.

Aeroflot is daily monitoring the epidemiological situation in Turkey. All the crews pass medical examinations before flights, and they have been informed what to do in case of finding an infectious disease patient onboard.

Source: ITAR-TASS

Cambodia: Dead Ducks Raise New Fears

2006-01-14T03:41:00.000-08:00

The sudden death of hundreds of ducks near the Cambodian capital has raised new fears that the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus may have reappeared in the country, sources here say. According to the English-language Cambodia Daily, officials say up to 3,000 ducks have died over a period of days, but initial testing for bird flu proved negative.

Tests are continuing, and no human bird flu infections have been identified. Officials confirmed that half of the roughly 2,000 ducks in that area had died suddenly over several days. Vichet Mony, head of the provincial veterinary department, said he was sending samples to Phnom Penh for testing to determine the exact cause of the deaths. Read More ....

Source: Radio Free Asia

Finland: BirdLife Says Migratory Birds Highly Unlikely to Bring H5N1

2006-01-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

BirdLife Finland said in a statement Friday that the spring migration was "extremely unlikely" to introduce the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza into Finland. BirdLife points out that no link between migratory birds and the spread of H5N1 has been identified. Bird flu did not spread to Africa and India with the hundreds of millions of birds that migrated there in the autumn, the statement added. Read More ....

Source: NewsRoom Finland

Risk to UK Low from H5N1 Virus in Tukey

2006-01-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

The WHO International Influenza Centre at the MRC's National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill have completed the genetic and antigenic analyses of viruses recovered from two fatal cases of H5N1 influenza in Turkey. Results from the analyses have shown that there are a small number of differences between the viruses from the human cases in the Turkish outbreak.

These differences include a mutation at the receptor binding site seen in one of the Turkish viruses. Such mutations have been seen previously and are to be expected given the diversity of H5 viruses. The gene sequencing of the viruses has also indicated that they are sensitive to the antivirals, oseltamivir and amantadine.

These viruses are very closely related to current avian H5N1 viruses in Turkey, and also to those isolated at Qinghai Lake in Western China last year. These results do not mean that the virus has the capacity to transmit from person to person.

This is not the start of a pandemic and the risk to the UK remains very low.

So far investigations in Turkey have not shown any human to human transmission of the virus.

Avian flu remains a disease of poultry, and human cases have occurred only in people who have had close contact with diseased and /or infected birds. These human cases have occurred in a rural part of eastern Turkey. The risk to people travelling to Turkey remains low but we would remind travellers to avoid close contact with poultry.

Read the Entire 13 Jan 2005 Press Statement from the Health Protection Agency

Ukraine: Bird Flu Quarantine Lifted in 16 Crimean Villages

2006-01-13T05:31:00.000-08:00

Quarantine imposed to control the spread of bird flu has been lifted in 16 villages in the Crimea, Ukraine said Friday. All infected domestic fowl in the villages have been culled and incinerated, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy ministry said.

Quarantine remains in only two villages in the Crimea: in Solnechny in the Sevastopol Region, and in Primorskoe in the Feodosia Region in the southeast of the peninsula. The autonomy has 29 poultry factories, at which hygienic and veterinary measures are being closely monitored.According to official data, more than 150,000 domestic fowl have so far been culled.

Source: Novosti

Turkey: Bird Flu Patient Discharged from Hospital

2006-01-13T04:52:00.000-08:00

Following treatment at Van Yuzuncuyil University’s School of Medicine Research Hospital, nine-year-old girl Sumeyye Mamuk (the girl who got infected after kissing a chicken) has been discharged from the hospital upon her recovery. Juvenile Illnesses Department Faculty Member Professor Ahmet Faik Oner confirmed that Sumeyye's treatment was completed successfully.

Meanwhile, it was reported that, six patients suspected of having bird flu and under treatment at Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine Hospital in Turkey took off from the hospital without informing officials. Five were at the stage of discharge and the sixth patient, E.D., was still under treatment.

Source: Zaman

Japan: Mild Bird Flu Too Risky to Ignore (H5N2)

2006-01-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

The world's first confirmed human cases of a weaker strain of bird flu are too "risky to ignore", even though none of those affected has health problems, Japanese officials warned. The H5N2 strain -- a milder form of the H5N1 which has killed more than 70 people in Asia since 2003 and two people in Turkey -- needs global attention because it could mutate, they said Wednesday.

"There is no health risk for those infected workers, but as long as the virus is a type of H5- strain, it is risky to ignore it," said a researcher at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

"In the past there was a case that a mild strain eventually transformed to a lethal one for chickens," warned the scientist, who declined to give his name in line with institute policy. Read More ....

Source: TodayOnline

Britain: Bird Flu Preparations

2006-01-13T03:26:00.000-08:00

BBC News has a comprehensive article on what the UK is doing to protect it's population and an explanation of some of the prevention methods which would be implemented, including -- stopping bird flu coming from abroad, detecting bird flu in wild birds and sheilding domestic birds. The impacts on the UK population has also been detailed in terms of health services, business and daily life while the other doubts and/or questions that have been explored are the mesaures that would be used to cope with a pandemic, the question of farmers being compensated if British poultry are infected and how vulnerable is the UK to the avian influenza.

Thailand: 24-Hour National Bird Flu Network Setup

2006-01-13T02:27:00.000-08:00

An anti-bird flu network will soon be set up in Bangkok and operate around the clock. Public Health Minister Pinit Jarusombat said the coordinating network will be based at Rajvithi Hospital and that staff will be on duty 24 hours a day to assure that bird flu and possible human influenza will be immediately put under control and stopped from breaking out in the provinces.

Members of the public are advised to contact the network which is to be under care of the Department of Medical Science via an Internet website operated by the Ministry of Public Health at www.dms.moph.go.th. Physicians attached to the network will give medical advice to private and public hospitals and health care units nationwide so they could promptly and correctly treat bird flu patients -- at any hour of the day or night. Read More ....

Source: MCOT

U.S.: Emergency Rooms Barely Ready, Report Finds

2006-01-13T02:24:00.000-08:00

America's emergency medical system is barely prepared for a real emergency, with overcrowded facilities and poor staff training, experts said on Tuesday. The report from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) adds to a growing list of complaints that a lack of a cohesive health care system means U.S. residents get different care depending on where they live, and that emergency response in general is lacking in the United States.

he ACEP panel graded U.S. states in four broad areas: access to emergency care, quality and patient safety, public health and injury prevention, and the medical liability environment. No state was considered outstanding, but overall, California came out as the best-prepared state, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia, the report found. Read More ....

Source: Reuters

The Balkans: Security Stepped Up

2006-01-13T02:22:00.000-08:00

Balkan nations have stepped up preventive measures and border control to prevent spreading of the deadly HN51 bird flu virus in the region, which has killed three children in nearby Turkey, while 15 others have been infected. Bulgaria and Greece have introduced a practice off disinfecting all vehicles coming from Turkey and banned all imports of poultry meet. Similar measures have been taken by Serbia and Montenegro. Read More ....

Source: AKI

Romania: First Possible Human Case of Bird Flu, Confronted

2006-01-13T02:14:00.000-08:00

Romania may have its first human case of avian influenza. A Turkish citizen was admitted to a hospital in Bucharest on Wednesday night with bird flu-like symptoms. Romania has been on alert as the virus spreads westwards across neighbouring Turkey, where two people are known to have died of the disease and many more are thought to have been infected.

Countries to the east of Turkey have also taken action. Georgia has tightened controls on goods crossing the border and Iran has decided to cull poultry within 15 kilometres of the Turkish frontier. The European Union has banned imports of live birds and risky poultry products such as fresh meat and untreated feathers from affected areas. Read More ....

Source: EuroNews

Iran: Turkey Border is Made a Poultry-Free Zone

2006-01-13T02:13:00.000-08:00

Iran is destroying all poultry in an area along its border with Turkey in an effort to create a buffer against the spread of bird flu.

"All the poultry existing within 15 kilometres (10 miles) of the border... will be destroyed," a local veterinary official said.

Iran shares a 486 kilometre (301 mile) border with Turkey, and the report said more than 50,000 birds were expected to be killed in the measure and farmers compensated. The Islamic republic, which has yet to report a case of bird flu, has already banned poultry imports from Turkey and urged its citizens not to travel there.

Source: The Persian Journal

Singapore: Avian Flu Test Kit Endorsed by WHO

2006-01-13T01:52:00.000-08:00

As the world prepares for an avian flu outbreak, a test kit produced by home-grown medical diagnostic company, Veredus Laboratories, has been given an endorsement by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its Avian Flu H5N1 Kit — which made headlines six months earlier for being able to diagnose the virus within hours — is currently one of the test kits being used by the WHO in Australia.

It has also been sold to countries in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The Australian authorities say the kit is more specific and sensitive than the primer set currently recommended by the WHO. With more accurate test methods, health care professionals can better pinpoint outbreak situations and public health officials can mobilise resources more effectively. Read More ....

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

Turkey: Five People Have Tested H5n1 Virus Positive

2006-01-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

''Two people from (eastern city) Van and three people from Ankara have tested positive for H5N1 virus and PCR (polymerase chain reaction),'' said Turan Buzgan, director general of Health Ministry Basic Health Services.

Buzgan told reporters, ''research on 28 samples in Refik Saydam Hygiene Center Virology Laboratory were completed as of 14:00 hours today.''

''According to results, two people from Van and three people from Ankara have tested positive for H5N1 virus and PCR,'' he added.

Source: The Anatolia Times

Symptoms: often mild

2006-01-13T01:43:00.000-08:00

If you have the flu, any flu, you might be worrying and wondering if you've got avian strain.

The Avian Flu symptoms are very similar to any othef flu
fever, aches, cough, sore throat and possible ear and chest infections, according to sources.

http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/health_news/270104avianflu.html

Research published today suggests that "Symptoms are often Mild"
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/13590448.htm

and people may contract the virus, be sick for a few days and then go back to normal.

If your symptom are severe, go straight to a competent doctor, and ask them to give you a test.

If your symptoms are mild, treat them like you would treat any case of flu, and monitor carefully for improvements or deterioration of your case.

Turkey: Signs of Recovery Console Turks Hit by Bird Flu

2006-01-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

In the children's ward where the Turkish victims of bird flu died, eight-year-old Sumeyye Mamuk has recovered enough to wander the corridor and watch as doctors tend to sicker children lying suffering in bed. Nine days earlier she was laid low with fever after hugging a sick chicken at her home in Van, eastern Turkey. All 28 children in the ward fell ill after touching poultry, a daily reality for locals ignorant of the dangers until the flu outbreak.

Back at her home in a poor district of the city, Sumeyye's brothers smile when shown a video of her. Until now they have only seen her through the glass doors of the isolated ward, which is only open to staff wearing protective clothing. A Reuters reporter was given permission to enter the ward. Read More ....

Source: The New Zealand Herald via Bird Flu Prevent

Southern Turkish City Hatay: New Bird Flu Risk Zone

2006-01-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

The highest risk areas in the bird flu outbreak are marsh regions and for Turkey, the new risk zone is the southern city of Hatay. National Parks Director General Mustafa Kemal Yalinkilic highlighted that the town of Belen in the city has the highest possibility of becoming in contact with bird flu.

Another region at risk of the disease is given as the Lake region in central Anatolia.
According to Yalinkilic, the regions along the route of migratory birds are most at risk of coming into contact with bird flu and require additional precautions. Bird sanctuaries and the reeds where birds nest will be monitored and kept under control. Read More ....

Source: Zaman

Vietnam: Month-Long Sterilisation Drive Against Bird Flu Begins

2006-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a month-long drive of sterilisation which will last until Feb. 6 in an effort to prevent bird flu outbreak. The National Steering Board for Bird Flu Prevention will co-ordinate with relevant agencies to tighten control and asked all localities to actively participate in the sterilisation drive, which will last beyond the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. During the drive, localities will carry out sterilisation work twice a week in communes where bird flu has occurred in the recent past, and once a week in others. Read More ....

Source: Nhan Dan

Avian Flu Maps in Google Earth

2006-01-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Declan Butler over at Nature has a Google Earth map (kml format) of avian flu outbreaks online tonight. The visualization of avian flu outbreaks is the first online map, to my knowledge, of each of the more than 1800 individual outbreaks of avian flu in birds that have been reported over the past two years. It also provides a geographical overview of confirmed human cases of infection with the H5N1 influenza virus. Read More ....

Source: Declan Butler

Thailand: Free-grazing Ducks & Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

2006-01-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Thailand has recently had 3 epidemic waves of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI); virus was again detected in July 2005. Risk factors need to be identified to better understand disease ecology and assist HPAI surveillance and detection. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of HPAI outbreaks in relation to poultry, land use, and other anthropogenic variables from the start of the second epidemic wave (July 2004–May 2005).

Results demonstrate a strong association between H5N1 virus in Thailand and abundance of free-grazing ducks and, to a lesser extent, native chickens, cocks, wetlands, and humans. Wetlands used for double-crop rice production, where free-grazing duck feed year round in rice paddies, appear to be a critical factor in HPAI persistence and spread. This finding could be important for other duck-producing regions in eastern and southeastern Asian countries affected by HPAI. Read More ....

Source: CDC

Poultry in 11 of 81 Provinces in Turkey has Bird Flu

2006-01-12T06:38:00.000-08:00

Bird flu has been discovered in poultry in 11 out of Turkey's 81 provinces while a further 14 provinces are suspected of having the virus, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker said on Thursday.

"It's confirmed in 11 provinces among birds and suspected in a further 14 provinces," he told a news conference in eastern Turkey broadcast live on television.

The deadly H5N1 virus has been found in wild birds and poultry across Turkey. It has killed at least two children and infected more than a dozen people in little more than a week.

Source: Reuters

Britain at Highest Risk from Avian Flu Pandemic

2006-01-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Widespread urbanisation, high population density and a large number of foreign visitors increase the country’s vulnerability Britain is at highest risk of an H5N1 flu outbreak if the avian virus starts passing from person to person, according to a map of the probable global impact of a pandemic according to the The Times. Although a pandemic strain of flu is more likely to emerge elsewhere in the world, Britain is the country to which it is most likely to spread once the disease evolves the ability readily to infect humans, the research suggests.

High population density, widespread urbanisation and large number of tourists and business visitors make it particularly vulnerable to a new virus, the study by Maplecroft, a risk consultancy, finds. As well as topping the league table of countries to which human H5N1 flu is likely to spread, Britain is also the only Western country considered at “extreme risk” from the general impact of a pandemic. The alarming figures are from a global survey that uses World Health Organisation (WHO) data to calculate the hazards that a pandemic of flu or another new infectious disease would pose to individual countries and regions. Read More ...

Source: The Times

Russia to Produce Mass Bird Flu Vaccine

2006-01-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Russia is making progress in its bid to mass-produce a veterinary vaccine against avian flu, a senior flu researcher announced in Moscow Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture has been coordinating the production of 100 million doses of the vaccine for domestic fowl in Siberia, and regions of the Urals Federal District, which are close to stopover sites used by migrating birds. Read More ...

Source: Science Daily

Dead Pigeon Sparks Panic in Georgia

2006-01-12T06:17:00.000-08:00

A dead pigeon discovered in western Georgia on Thursday has caused panic among local residents, according to local television. Reports said the bird was found near the central market in the town Zugdidi, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of the capital, Tbilisi. Witnesses said the pigeon was sitting on an electricity transmission line and then suddenly plummeted to the ground.

"It must have been ill with bird flu," people who gathered around the dead bird are reported to have said. Local veterinaries examined the pigeon, and said it had not been infected with bird flu, a television channel, Imedi, said. Read More ....

Source: Novosti

Bird Flu Virus Found in 3rd Dead Turkish Child

2006-01-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

Tests have shown that the H5N1 virus was in the lungs of a Turkish child who died last week and who had originally tested negative for bird flu, the state Anatolian news agency said on Thursday.

The elder brother and sister of Hulya Kocyigit, 11, were the first confirmed cases of bird flu among human beings outside China and Southeast Asia. Mehmet Ali Kocyigit died on January 1 and Fatma on January 5. Hulya died on January 6.

Source: Reuters

Indonesian Woman Dies of Suspected Bird Flu

2006-01-12T00:54:00.000-08:00

An Indonesian woman who local health officials said, had suffered from bird flu died at a hospital late Wednesday after being treated for three days in the Sulianto Saroso Hospital according to Hospital spokesman, Ilham Patu who also stated that local tests showed that she had bird flu.

The blood sample of the 29-year-old woman has been sent to a WHO-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong for confirmation, he said. The hospital is also awaiting the Hong Kong laboratory test result of a 39-year-old man who died last week after locally tested positive of bird flu. If both cases were confirmed, bird flu death toll in the country could reach 14.

Source: Xinhua

Donors Urged to Give US$1.5 Billion to Fight Bird Flu

2006-01-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

A UN official (David Nabarro, the UN coordinator on avian and human influenza) in charge of leading the battle against the avian flu outbreak on Wednesday called on donors to contribute around US$1.5 billion at a pledging conference in Beijing next week. Nabarro lauded Vietnam for its bird immunization program and said China had made an important step forward in detection efforts although "a lot more has to be done".

The Beijing conference, scheduled for January 17-18, is sponsored by China, the European Commission and the World Bank. Nabarro made the remarks here as the World Health Organization warned Wednesday that an outbreak of deadly bird flu sweeping across Turkey could become entrenched and spread into nearby states. Read More ....

Source: The Jakarta Post

Girl Lucky to be Alive After Bird Flu Ordeal

2006-01-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

Sumeyya Mamuk's backyard chickens were her beloved pets. She fed them, petted them and took care of them. When they started to get sick and die, she hugged them and kissed them goodbye. The next morning, the 8-year-old's face and eyes had swollen and she was suffering from a high fever. Her father took her to a hospital, and five days later she was confirmed to have been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Following a few tense days when her family worried if she would recover, Sumeyya's condition has improved due to quick treatment with the antiviral drug Tamiflu, Van hospital's Chief Physician Dr. Huseyin Avni Sahin said on Tuesday. Even if not animal lovers like Sumeyya, children in poor agricultural towns tend to be extremely comfortable with the animals they share their lives with. It has been particularly difficult to convince them that this can now be dangerous. Read More ....

Source: China Daily

France Presents Bird Flu Plan to Protect Entire Population

2006-01-12T00:38:00.000-08:00

France aims to have protective masks, vaccines and anti-viral drugs to protect its entire population in the event of a deadly flu pandemic, the health minister said Wednesday. France currently has 14 million anti-viral treatments, and has ordered 40 million flu vaccines, Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said. He did not indicate what kind of vaccines had been ordered or from where.

Bertrand spoke to reporters after presenting parliament with the government's new 68-page plan for coping with any influenza outbreak stemming from bird flu. Health experts fear the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain could mutate into a highly infectious form of human flu. The French plan orders veterinary officials and farmers to monitor much more closely all poultry farms and wild bird populations. Read More ....

Source: Billings Gazette

Experts Warn of Bird Flu Risks With Lunar New Year

2006-01-12T00:34:00.000-08:00

When Chinese people gather all over the world to celebrate Lunar New Year at the end of January, chicken will be standard fare on their dining tables. But experts are warning the jump in demand and the way live chickens are packed densely in crates, moved across borders and slaughtered is a sure recipe for trouble and could mean more outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 bird flu in birds and humans.

The Chinese have a penchant for cooking and consuming freshly slaughtered chickens, but that age-old habit requires them to shop at neighbourhood markets where buyers and sellers are exposed to poultry in often unsanitary conditions. Eating well-cooked chicken poses no danger but slaughtering and handling infected chickens does. Read More ....

Source: AlertNet

UN: Bird flu may spread

2006-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Turkey’s fast-moving outbreak of bird flu prompted villagers across the border in Georgia to slaughter chickens, geese and ducks en masse today, while in neighbouring Greece, Georgia and Syria, authorities beefed up border inspections. In Russia, nationalist legislator Vladimir Zhirinovsky even urged men to grab rifles and shoot migratory birds to keep the virus at bay.

The European Union announced it would keep monitoring wild and domestic birds around the 25-member bloc until end of the year, and a Swiss soccer club cancelled a trip to Turkey.The measures were taken despite assurances by the World Health Organization that there was no reason to panic and no evidence of person-to-person infection. Read More ....

Source: Toronto Star

Bird Flu Outbreak Provides Virtual Laboratory

2006-01-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

While an unwelcome development, the explosion of human cases of avian flu in Turkey is a scientific bonanza for researchers and public health authorities trying to unravel the mysteries of the H5N1 strain and better assess its risk to global health, experts admit. Never before have scientists had the opportunity to study so many newly diagnosed cases in such a short period of time. Amplifying the benefit is the fact that at least some were diagnosed early in their infections, allowing doctors to monitor how the antiviral drug Tamiflu performs against this virus when commenced early in the disease course.

The willingness of Turkish authorities to collaborate with international scientists adds to the sense that this flare up of disease has the real potential to push out the bounds of H5N1 science. Researchers got another gift in the form of two children whose worried parents rushed them for testing at the first sign of a sniffle because they'd been in contact with sick poultry. They tested positive and were quickly started on Tamiflu. The willingness of Turkish authorities to send sample viruses to Britain for testing and genetic sequencing already suggests researchers who have been charting the evolution of the H5N1 family of viruses may have easier access to isolates from Turkey than they have from East Asian countries. Read More ....

Source: CTV

Live Online Broadcast of Bird Flu Victim's Treatment

2006-01-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital will live broadcast the medical treatment of the country's eighth bird flu victim online, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday. The patient, identified as a native of Hunan Province surnamed Ouyang, 6, began to suffer serious damage to both lungs yesterday, said Zhu Yimin, president of the hospital, where the boy is receiving treatment.

Zhu said many people were caring about the boy's condition because he is the second human being who was infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Hunan. So they planned to install a camera in his ward to broadcast the medical treatment and show part of his daily life via the Web. Ouyang began running a fever and exhibiting symptoms of pneumonia on December 24. He was transferred to the provincial-level hospital early Monday.

Source: Shanghai Daily

Scientists Ready to Crack Bird Flu Code

2006-01-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

British scientists say they will determine the genetic sequence of the bird flu virus in Turkey within the next few days. Researchers at the National Institute of Medical Research can use the code to determine whether the virus is resistant to Tamiflu, the drug being stockpiled to deal with a potential pandemic, the London Telegraph reported.

A team at the World Influenza Center in London has received six samples of the virus from Turkey. Of those, two have been confirmed to be H5N1, said Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council. The team has also succeeded in growing the first sample virus in eggs and will determine the entire genetic code. Read More ....

Source: ScienceDaily

Funeral Directors' Plan for Bird Flu in New Zealand

2006-01-11T06:03:00.000-08:00

The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand has ruled out the need for mass burials in the event of a bird flu pandemic, but says funeral services would not be held and cremations would be rare. The associations' pandemic committee chairman Simon Manning says the industry's plans for any pandemic allow for all victims to be buried with dignity, in individual marked graves.

Manning says if coffins ran out, heavy polythene bodybags would be used. He says funeral services would not be held because gatherings would be banned, and there would not be many cremations. Manning says bodies would be buried within 48 hours of death and people would be buried in the district in which they died.

Source: TVNZ

Georgia Steps Up Anti-Bird Flu Measures

2006-01-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

Georgia is bringing in necessary equipment, disinfection materials and special garments from Germany to prevent the spread of bird flu in the country, as the neighboring Turkey has reported at least 15 confirmed human cases and two deaths, Agriculture Minister Mikhail Svimonishvili told reporters on Wednesday. Imports of poultry products from 23 countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are banned in the country since autumn. The Georgian Health Ministry is circulating booklets with information on bird flu. Read More ....

Source: ITAR-TASS

NHS Hotline Staff Trained to Spot Bird Flu

2006-01-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

Nurses on the NHS 24 hotline (0845 4647) have been given special training to identify the first signs of bird flu entering Scotland. Health officials believe the frontline service, which handles around 3500 calls a day, will be one of the first places to spot if more people than normal are getting ill. The nurses are being kept up-to-date on the latest situation from affected countries around the world and have been given training on how to spot the symptoms of bird flu.

Dr George Crooks, medical director of NHS 24, said: "We have an early warning system for bird flu. All our staff have been fully briefed about the symptoms and are monitoring all calls for them."
Read More .....

Source: Scotsman