News Reports for June 4, 2012

Bangladesh: Bird flu found in 21 poultry farms

Bird flu has been detected in 21 out of 85 big poultry farms in Bangladesh this year and over 46,000 chicks have been culled till May 31, officials said in Dhaka yesterday.

In the wake of spread of avian influenza (Snip) in poultry farms across the country, an eight-member experts committee was formed yesterday to devise a plan to start a vaccination programme. The committee was given three days to submit its recommendation.
(Snip)
The 22-member NAC was formed last year under Avian Influenza Response Plan (AIRP) to prevent and eliminate bird flu in Bangladesh. (Snip) Bishwas said that the NAC was formed following outbreak and spread of H5N1 (avian influenza virus) in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries about three years ago. The NAC formed the technical committee last year to assess the situation and suggest ways to prevent and eliminate it.

The technical committee propsed the establishment of an expert committee to launch a vaccination programme. The vaccination plan was taken following demand made by the poultry owners. http://www.gulf-times.com/site...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 01:57:21 AM UTC

Bangladesh: Poultry vaccination plan triggers shock

Dhaka, June 4 (bdnews24.com) - The government's move to vaccinate poultry against frequently changing avian influenza virus has 'surprised' experts because globally it is recommended not to use it for public health's sake. Experts say the available vaccines in the world have been able to reduce poultry fatalities for some time, but the vaccinated birds' capabilities to transmit the disease 'silently' after being infected caused 'massive' human mortalities.

Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam had been vaccinating poultries but stopped after an influx of human fatalities last year followed when the virus also changed its strain.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas on Sunday told journalists that considering poultry farmers' 'long-standing demand' the government planned to 'experimentally' introduce the vaccine. He said a committee had been formed to finalise the decision to that end.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) experts say they are 'surprised' by the move. (Snip) Chief Technical Adviser to the FAO Avian Influenza Control Programme, told bdnews24.com that earlier they 'warned' the government against using vaccines. He said the situation where the vaccine once used was 'serious' and that 'there is no record of successfully controlling H5N1 with vaccines'.
(Snip)
Globally, it is recommended that poultry farms maintain bio-security to prevent the virus and government have measures for early reporting, rapid action, culling and surveillance to control avian influenza outbreaks. (Snip) once vaccinated, birds would not show the flu symptoms early. "It means the detection would be very difficult. But we need to detect it as early as possible to contain its spread."

According to him, many people died even after Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam - top three avian influenza burdened countries - started vaccinating poultry. "It's because of silent infection," he said, "finally they had to stop vaccination." The FAO expert said they had a meeting recently with Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam and discussed the problems. "They are concerned about how to get rid of their problems."

He said bio-security was the most important measures to control avian influenza, but Bangladesh was not practising it. Last year Bangladesh witnessed 171 bird flu outbreaks in poultry. This year so far it recorded 21 outbreaks but Yamage said it did not mean the situation improved. "We found sick birds in the market. Trucks were found at check points carrying sick birds. "It means outbreaks are happening but remain under-reported."

(Snip) Director at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told bdnews24.com that during last month's conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's experts told them 'not to start vaccination.' He said as four flu viruses - H1N1, H5N1, H3N2 and H9N2 - was circulating in Bangladesh, silent infections might be 'devastating'. "Once (the four viruses) reasserted themselves, it will be a big threat."

WHO influenza expert Dr ASM Alamgir said they never recommended a country to vaccinate its poultry against H5N1. "It's not the way to combat H5N1," he said, 'the virus is changing.'

"Even in Bangladesh the present clade 2.3.2.1 is new. It was detected last year. Since 2007 clade 2.2 was circulating in Bangladesh." (Snip) there is no vaccine in the world for the clade that currently circulates in Bangladesh.

Coordinator of One Health Bangladesh Nitish Chandra Debnath said the vaccine would not be 'effective' in Bangladesh. "The virus has already changed its strain (Snip) and it will continue to change."

(Snip)

The government has confirmed six human infections after the first case of H5N1 influenza was detected on May 22, 2008. http://www.bdnews24.com/detail...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 18:10:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

what???

Could someone shed light on what they are talking about here:

but the vaccinated birds' capabilities to transmit the disease 'silently' after being infected caused 'massive' human mortalities.
Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam had been vaccinating poultries but stopped after an influx of human fatalities last year followed when the virus also changed its strain.

What "massive" influx of human fatalities occured in these areas last year?  I don't recall any significant number of cases being reported, but maybe I slept through something.

(Or maybe they weren't being reported??) What figures does WHO have: last I checked no big upshoot of cases in 2011 was in there.)

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Jun 05, 2012 at 01:00:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hi Mary

I chalked it up to reporter exaggeration on the number of deaths reported. Basically though, this is a good article so I wanted to post it for everyone to read. For the record, I think Vietnam stopped vaccinating in part of the country because of a change in the circulating H5N1 virus. The dominate clade was replaced by a newer clade that came out of China and the vaccine was no longer effective. I don't know about now but they did continue for a while to vaccinate the poultry in other parts of Vietnam. IMO, vaccinating poultry has been ineffective in controlling H5N1 and I believe it has been one of the main factors in helping the virus to survive, evolve and spread.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jun 05, 2012 at 05:58:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Australia: New flu strain set to hit Aust this winter

A new strain of flu from the northern hemisphere is likely to spread through Australia this winter, NSW health authorities say. (Snip) the new flu strain (H3N2) is likely to replace swine flu that emerged in 2009 as the dominant strain.

Pregnant women, the elderly and the chronically ill should be vaccinated. "This may mean that people in older age groups ... may be at greater risk this winter," Dr McAnulty said in a statement on Monday. "We are already seeing a rise in activity ... so now is the time to get vaccinated." Continued: http://news.theage.com.au/brea...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 02:03:11 AM UTC

Australia: Flu season sets in

A SPIKE in the number of people with flu-like symptoms in the city could cost businesses in the Murray-Riverina region more than $18 million. The figure comes from the Murray-Riverina NSW Business Chamber, which estimated that would be the total if one in 10 employees fall ill.

Regional manager Ben Foley said the calculation was based on a worker needing a week to recover at an average cost of $1300 per person. "That doesn't take into consideration any replacement staff or temps," he said.

"With the patchy economy at the moment there is a very compelling economic reason as an employer to help professionals get the flu shot." And the large loss could end up totalling more than the chamber's estimate because the flu has already been showing a stronger presence in Wagga than previous years.

Wagga Medical Centre general practitioner Dr Heidy Kuzman said there had been a significant number of people already coming to see her with symptoms of the influenza virus. "It's been very busy, there are too many people having severe symptoms of the flu and a sore throat," she said.

That's something nurse Jane Gillard - who gives influenza vaccinations - has also noticed. "It seems earlier this year; we've seen a lot of coughs and colds in May and we don't normally start seeing them until June," she said. Continued: http://www.dailyadvertiser.com...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 02:09:07 AM UTC

US: National Bio And Agro-Defense Center In Manhattan, Kansas Stalled By Budget, Politics

MANHATTAN, Kansas, June 3 (Reuters) - The site of a proposed facility to fight animal diseases, including those which could be spread by bioterrorists, is little more than a parking lot today because of safety and budget concerns.

Construction of an ambitious National Bio and Agro-Defense Center in this Kansas university town is on hold due to the federal budget crunch and concerns about risks to livestock and human populations, especially in the event of natural disaster.

"When we were named as the site, I thought the battle was over and it was just a matter of moving ahead," said Ron Trewyn, who has shepherded the project along as vice president for research at Kansas State University. Now, more than a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks raised fears of bioterrorism on U.S. soil, an armed guard and steel perimeter fence protect idle equipment in the parking lot and a few utility sheds at the stalled construction site.

Further construction on what may or may not be the future home of America's primary facility for fighting dangerous animal diseases awaits two National Research Council reports due in late June on health and safety risks posed by the plant. Those reports may determine the fate of the $1 billion project. One report will analyze the risks of the plant as currently designed, and the other will look at scaling back the project or scrapping it altogether. Continued: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 02:24:06 AM UTC

China: Hong Kong on heightened alert for avian flu

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong was on heightened alert over avian flu, after health authorities reported over the weekend that a mainland child had tested positive for the H5N1 virus (Snip) The health authorities raised the bird flu alert to "serious" and called for tests on about 80 people who came into contact with the two-year-old who lives in the nearby southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The boy, who is said to have visited a live poultry market in the past month, remains in serious condition (Snip) http://www.marketwatch.com/sto...

(Note: The 80 peole mentioned don't include all the ones he was in contact with on the mainland or in traveling to Hong Kong.)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 08:06:16 AM UTC

Australia: Vaccinate against new flu strain

NSW HEALTH is warning that a new strain of the flu which emerged in the Northern Hemisphere earlier this year would likely circulate in Australia this winter. North Coast Director of Public Health, Paul Corben said NSW Health WAs urging the public - especially pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions - to get vaccinated against the flu.

"The new strain of flu is a type of influenza (H3N2), which looks likely to replace the pandemic flu that emerged in 2009 as the dominant virus strain," Mr Corben said.

"This may mean that people in older age groups, some of whom had some natural protection against the pandemic strain, may be at greater risk this winter.

"We are already seeing a rise in activity related to this new influenza strain and this will escalate during the winter period so now is the time to get vaccinated. Continued: http://www.northernstar.com.au...

(Note: Unfortunately for our friends in the southern hemisphere, the decision by WHO to recommend changing the composition of the flu vaccine didn't come until March 2012 and the vaccine manufactured for the southern hemisphere was completed by then.)

Next season's influenza shots to contain two newer strains http://www.ama-assn.org/amedne...
 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 08:33:48 AM UTC

China: Cluster of Influenza A cases in Tung Wah Hospital (Hong Kong)

(Snip) The spokesperson of Tung Wah Hospital made the following announcement today (June 4):

Three female patients (aged 74 to 79) of the Stroke Rehabilitation Ward of the Medical Unit had presented with respiratory symptoms and fever since May 30. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and their test results were positive for Influenza A. The patients concerned are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting to the ward has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance. (Snip) http://7thspace.com/headlines/...

(Note: This same news source announced a cluster of flu cases involving three  16 to 17 year olds in Caritas Medical Centre the middle of May.  http://7thspace.com/headlines/... )

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 16:36:27 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for June 5, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Jun 05, 2012 at 04:07:09 AM UTC