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Forum: H 6 N 2 in Illinois Teals

17 October 2006

Mamabird – at 16:21

The USDA just released the following news bulletin:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2006 - The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior today announced final test results, which confirm that a low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus was found in samples collected last month from wild Green-winged Teals in Illinois. LPAI has been detected several times in wild birds in North America and poses no risk to human health.

The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the presence of H6N2 through virus isolation in a pool of five samples of the 11 samples collected from wild Green-winged Teals in the Rice Lake Conservation Area of Fulton County, Illinois. Initial screening results announced on Sept. 29 indicated that H5 and N1 subtypes might be present in the collected samples, but further testing was necessary to confirm the H and N subtypes as well as pathogenicity.

The initial rapid screening tests are highly sensitive and can detect active and inactive viruses in samples. Varieties of this test can screen for the presence of all strains of avian influenza virus. Because these rapid screening tests are highly sensitive, it is not uncommon to have positive results for a specific subtype on the initial screen test and yet not be able to isolate a virus of that subtype. This was the case for these samples, which tested as a weak positive for both H5 and N1 in the initial screen tests. During confirmatory testing, H5 and N1 subtypes were not found but instead H6 and N2, confirming that the virus is LPAI.

Low pathogenic strains of avian influenza occur naturally in wild birds and typically cause only minor sickness or no noticeable signs of disease in birds. These strains are common in the U.S. and around the world. Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very different from the more severe highly pathogenic H5N1 circulating in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. Highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza spread rapidly and are often fatal to chickens and turkeys.

The Departments of Agriculture and Interior are working collaboratively with States and academic institutions to sample wild birds throughout the United States for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

For more information about the collaborative avian influenza efforts go to www.usda.gov/birdflu.

Mamabird – at 16:23

While the USDA seems to take some comfort in this latest announcement, please be aware that H6N2 has been detected in domestic chicken flocks throughout California in each of the years 2000 through 2004. The point is that the detection of H6N2 in wildfowl means that the wild and domestic birds are in fact intermingling with each other despite bio-security efforts of commercial breeders. And if there is this much interaction, then it stands to reason that the H5N1 being detected in North America wildfowl has a good chance of infecting chickens, which historically has led to disastrous results for infected flocks.

tjclaw1 – at 16:31

Yeah, these birds are literally “in my backyard.” I was not comforted by the report of H6N2. Is it possible that H5N1 and H6N2 could go pandemic at the same time so we might have multiple viruses circulating at the same time?

Mamabird – at 16:36

tjclaw1 – at 16:31

There are no documented human infections of any H6 subtype of the Type A influenza virus. However, your perfect storm idea certainly has merit if you change the scenario to H9N2. That puppy has infected lots of chinese. Forutnately it does not cause serious illness like H5.

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