September 3 News Reports here
where? :-)
Posted once, then thought twice. Here’s the link to 9/2 news:
Joint apparatus carried out the raid in the Sibolga Port, North Sumatra, post the discovery of the case of bird flu in this area. The inspection was carried out to all the ferry passenger who just came from Nias. In this inspection the official found a cardboard box containing the Bangkok chicken.
After being checked by the official of animal quarantine, the official did not find signs tertular the virus H5N1, so as to be returned to his owner. In the meantime, in the Badiri Subdistrict, Tapanuli Middle, the official visited the citizen’s houses. In this area some time before was found by the case of dozens of chickens that died suddenly and were stated positive terjangit the bird flu virus. Originally, the raid was meant unruk destroyed the livestock. However, the citizen claimed to be most of their livestock has died for the last two days. “Already did not have ternah again,” said Sahria Boru Tarihoan, one of the citizens there. The insignificance of the citizen’s knowledge of the matter of bird flu of making them bury just like that poultries that did not die and report to the official
Mallard ducks in Pennsylvania have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. Agriculture and Interior departments said on Saturday, adding to cases detected recently in Maryland and Michigan. A strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in wild ducks sampled Aug. 28 in Crawford County in northwestern Pennsylvania. “Testing has ruled out the possibility of this being the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa,” USDA and Interior said in a statement. “Test results thus far indicate this is low pathogenic avian influenza, which poses no risk to human health.” The government said it was conducting additional tests to determine, in part, if the ducks had H5N1 or two separate strains with one virus contributing H5 and the other N1. A second round of tests could take five to 10 more days to confirm whether it was the low-pathogenic H5N1 bird flu. The virus also has been found during the last month in Michigan and on Friday in Maryland. The Maryland mallards did not appear sick so the samples, collected on Aug. 2 as part of a research project, were not given high priority when sent to USDA labs for testing. The U.S. departments of Agriculture and Interior are working with states to collect between 75,000 and 100,000 wild bird samples in addition to more than 50,000 environmental tests throughout the United States. A low-pathogenic strain, which produces less disease and mortality in birds than does a high-pathogenic version, poses no threat to humans. It is common for mild and low pathogenic strains of bird flu to appear in the United States and other countries. The latest H5N1 bird flu strain in Asia, Europe and Africa is known to have killed at least 141 people and forced hundreds of millions of birds to be destroyed.
COMMENT (QUESTION)
This may be the dumb question of the day, but here goes. Could exposure to a low-path H5N1 offer birds (or people?) a certain resistance to high-path H5N1? Anybody have an informed opinion?
Bird flu cases result of spell? Death says no
ANDI MERIAH, Indonesia — Dowes Ginting, the most wanted man on Sumatra island, lay dying. He had abandoned the hospital where he had seen his relatives succumb one after another, and he had fled deep into the mountains, trying to outrun the black magic he feared had marked him next. For four nights, witnesses recalled, a witch doctor hovered over him in a small clapboard home, resisting the evil spell.
Mr. Ginting had watched disease burn through his family over the previous two weeks, killing six and sickening two others, including himself. International health experts grew increasingly concerned when laboratory tests confirmed they were sickened by bird flu, the largest cluster of the disease ever recorded. But the wiry 32-year-old feared medical treatment more than he did the flu. And so he ran.
In the end, the outbreak in May did not presage the start of a worldwide epidemic. But the enormous difficulties that Indonesian and international disease specialists confronted in investigating the outbreak and protecting against its spread raised fundamental questions about whether bird flu could be contained if it mutated into a form more easily spread among people.
“If this were a strain with sustainable transmission from human to human, I can’t imagine how many people would have died, how many lives would have been lost,” said Surya Dharma, chief of communicable disease control in North Sumatra province.
From Promed:
“Since June 2006, a pig disease characterized by rising body temperature, redness of the skin, and rapid breathing has occurred in portions of Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, and other provinces[of China]”
Calling Dr Tom-what types of illness in pigs present like this and…..could these be symptoms of porcine H5N1 infection??
Hi Grace. That description would cover just about every infection that pigs get. Pigs can’t sweat to regulate their body temperatures so that they will pant and they are also prone to ‘blushing’ as well due to their skin…that is in part why they lay in the mud…otherwise they are usually very clean animals.
One disease does come to mind…Erysipelas…another zoonosis. It is probably the most common.
Inky. You do not want to intentionally circulate any virus through birds or humans because on one hand you may produce a high path virus and on the other you might produce a pandemic virus…
…but it is good to think the way you do…because in the end every concievable angle will be examined and nothing will be missed.
Thanks!!
Commonground – at 09:50 re: new mallards in PA testing postive
Interesting. The version of this article that appeared in our newspaper today has variations; I’m looking for the wire service link now (our paper has a column that is an assortment of wire service reports but doesn’t list which service wrote which article).
It left out the part about the sample having been taken Aug 2; makes it sound like a recent expansion of the virus (Aug 28) rather than one that happened at least a month ago (and logically would have spread further by now) but was just discovered.
Our article also includes a line about the low-grade strain having been found many times in the US w/o posing a threat, “…but officials expect the deadlier strain to reach the continent this year.” I wonder which officials?
It also quotes “the Agriculture Dept” (no names given) as saying “It is possible that these birds were not infected with an H5N1 strain, but instead with two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1.”
Inky. It is not a dumb question? I’m not sure there are any dumb questions. Where dumb comes in is if you don’t ask sufficient questions.
GraceRN, a good sit to find out about current news and disease outbreaks in pigs in tropical areas of the world is … http://pigtrop.cirad.fr/en/index.php (home page)
diease info index… http://pigtrop.cirad.fr/en/scientific/sante_diseases_technical_cards.htm
just in case Tom DVM is ever on vacation:-)
COMMENT
Monotreme – at 10:29 Thank you for that story. It is such a clear reminder to me of how we are all the same, in this world. A very honest account.
New case in Egypt….
39 minutes ago
CAIRO (AFP) - The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been reported in a domestic poultry farm in southern Egypt, the first time the highly pathogenic virus was detected in the country in months.
The new case was reported in the village of Al-Rakakna, in the Sohag province, some 490 kilometres (305 miles) south of Cairo, a statement from the agriculture ministry said Sunday.
All poultry on the farm was slaughtered and tests were under way to check that none of the people who had been in contact with the infected animals were contaminated.
The last human case of H5N1 reported in Egypt dates back to May……
Sorry, should have made that clearer in the heading that it’s a new *poultry* case, not human.
re - 10:59
I found the link to the article that was in our local paper, which mentions the unnamed official expectation of high-path hitting the US this year and also the possible combination of two other forms….
Fears of ‘extreme’ TB strain
New drug-resistant infection is ‘nightmare’ say health experts
Robin McKie, science editor Sunday September 3, 2006 News http://tinyurl.com/s7aht - excerpt:
The Observer
Health experts are to hold an emergency meeting in Johannesburg this week, following the discovery of a deadly new strain of tuberculosis. The strain - known as extreme drug-resistant TB - has horrified World Health Organisation doctors. In one outbreak in South Africa, 52 of 53 patients died within weeks of becoming infected.
‘This new strain leaves us facing a nightmare,’ said Paul Nunn, coordinator of the WHO’s drug-resistance unit. ‘It is resistant to nearly every drug in our arsenal. We are now on the threshold of the appearance of a strain of TB that is resistant to every medicine known to science.’
Comment:
Regarding my post at 11:43, it makes me wonder. The experts have been referring to “other diseases” they are watching. Always telling us H5N1 is not their only concern. Could they have been referring to this new drug resistant tuberculosis?
Red Cross to feed city’s flu from Tallahassee.com (Florida)
…In the event of a worldwide flu outbreak, families could be cooped up in their homes for weeks, and food could disappear from grocery store shelves. But the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is taking steps to make sure families in the Big Bend will have food, even if they are quarantined. The agency is looking for restaurants, caterers and others to submit proposals on how much food they could supply in a pandemic and how much they would charge…Floyd also said people should plan now for a possible pandemic, which means having four to six weeks worth of water and nonperishable food. He described pandemic planning as “hurricane planning on steroids…”
News
written by editorial staff on Saturday, on September 02 2006: (excerpt)
for the last two months in 2006 the price of the sweet Siammadu
citrus fruit commodity from the Karo Regency the plateau of the Line’s Hill, plummeted the alias fell the price.
The decline in the price of the citrus fruit for the last two month was the extraordinary incident.
The writer felt sad, with the price fall at this time because only was discussed in the level of the cafe, did not spread took the form of the seminar in hotels, rarely was contained in the newspaper.
Was different to rumours of busy bird flu was discussed in the print media.
This article was made for the aim of depicting the phenomenon that was experienced by the farmer, try to give the fall way out of the price of the citrus fruit.
http://tinyurl.com/nwt43
is anyone worried about the H5N1 detected in Pennsylvania? it isn’t clear whether it is H5N1 or not yet?
It IS H5N1. It’s a common low-path North American strain that’s been circulating in North America, in wild migratory birds, and in the migratory flyways for 20 years.
Recombinomics Commentary (excerpt):
Dual H5N1 Bird Flu Infections in North America
Recombinomics Commentary
September 3, 2006
It is possible that these birds were not infected with an H5N1 strain, but instead with two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1. The confirmatory testing underway at USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories will clarify whether one or more strains of the virus are present, the specific subtype, as well as confirm the pathogenicity.
The above comments raise the possibility of dual or multiple infections in the H5N1 positive mallards, which is a distinct possibility….
-snip-
The sudden increase in H5N1 in the United States is cause for concern. Since the low path is the same serotype as the high path in migratory birds, mixtures will be more difficult to detect. The H5 from the dead goose on Prince Edward Island was in low abundance which could be obscured by high levels of low path H5N1. Moreover, low path H5N1 can acquire mammalian sequences, as was seen in the H5N2 from British Columbia collected last year. Low path H5 and easily recombine with high path H5 because of extensive regions of identity in the H5 gene, as well as the other 7 gene segments.
Although the 2006 surveillance plan for Canada calls for increasing the numer of tested birds to over 12,000, the program has only released one sequence from the 208 postives birds from 2005. Moreover, there have been no reports from 2006, even though testing from the northern shores of Lake Erie would almost certainly detect H5N1 last month. Thus far the H5N1 positives in the United States are in the Atlantic Americas flyway, which links to the East Atlantic flyway, which coverns western Europe and Africa as well as Siberia, the source of many recent Qinghai H5N1 infections..
Release of the H5 low path sequences may offer clues as to why H5N1 has become the dominant H5 sequence detected In the United States and Canada in 2006.
Isolates by OSU which are being sequenced by TIGR and soon to be public at GenBank
http://tinyurl.com/ozg4t
Re Tom DVM at 11:00 - Thanks. It seems the alternative to asking dumb questions is remaining ignorant, so I’ve asked quite a few in my lifetime ;→. Is it the case that strains of endemic low-path H5N1 simply mutated in Southeast Asia to become the high-path H5N1 we are now worried about? I had the impression that H5N1 was something new altogether, so word of a “low path” virus of the same name that’s been around for years requires that I refine my understanding.
Every case is a test tube and H5N1 may as well be a mad scientist feverishly at work, so I wasn’t really thinking that intentional exposure would be a good idea, just wondering if these viruses are similar enough that the low-path strain would produce an immune response to any degree whatsoever.
Somehow I don’t think this is the case. There must have been low-path strains of H5N1 in Indonesia, Thailand, China and Vietnam if there have been cases in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and who knows where else, going back 20 years or more, before the high-path strain emerged. High-path H5N1 is high-path precisely because it trumps resistance. Have I answered my own question?
Inky. I agree with you that an infection with a low path strain would provide complete resistance against high path H5N1…
…and our knowlege of influenza in general is so archaic and rudimentary at the moment that we just don’t know if it would provide partial immunity…
…and the exact same argument can be made about vaccine strains…we just don’t know for sure whether they would provide full or partial immunity.
Here is another interesting question…with low pathogenic H5N1 endemic to many parts of the world including it seems anywhere in North America any time they do background testing…Why did it develop in China?
Information from U.S. Department of Interior and Rueters article, not generic Associated Press, Yahoo, etc.
Summary
Samples taken August 2, wild ducks, Maryland - http://tinyurl.com/qskls
Queen Anne’s County, Maryland, Ohio State University. National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL, Ames, Iowa) received samples August 24. Tests confirm H5N1 avian influenza subtype August 31. Additional testing will confirm the pathogenicity of the virus. These results are expected within two weeks.
Samples taken August 8, swans, Michigan - http://tinyurl.com/f3dsx Mouillee state game area, Lake Erie, Monroe County, Michigan.
Samples taken August 28, wild ducks, Pennsylvania - http://tinyurl.com/kqkru Crawford County, northwestern Pennsylvania.
Additional info briefing
Maryland - “Testing has ruled out the possibility of this being the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. Test results thus far indicate this is low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI), which poses no threat to human health. [snip] The fecal samples came from mallards that showed no signs of sickness, which also suggests that this is LPAI. [snip] Because of the nature of the research project and because there was no sign of illness in the birds, the samples were not prioritized for testing. [snip] …genetic analysis of the virus was completed, which suggests that this virus is similar to low pathogenic strains that have been found previously in North America. It should be noted that wild birds are known to harbor many influenza viruses, and the finding of these viruses during routine testing is not unusual. [snip] There is no known health risk to hunters or hunting dogs from contact with low pathogenic forms of avian influenza virus.”
Pennsylvania - WASHINGTON (Reuters). “Mallard ducks in Pennsylvania have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. Agriculture and Interior departments said on Saturday, adding to cases detected recently in Maryland and Michigan. [snip] Test results thus far indicate this is low pathogenic avian influenza, which poses no risk to human health. [snip] A second round of tests could take five to 10 more days to confirm whether it was the low-pathogenic H5N1 bird flu. [snip] The virus also has been found during the last month in Michigan and on Friday in Maryland. The Maryland mallards did not appear sick so the samples…were not given high priority when sent to USDA labs for testing. A low-pathogenic strain, which produces less disease and mortality in birds than does a high-pathogenic version, poses no threat to humans. It is common for mild and low pathogenic strains of bird flu to appear in the United States and other countries.”
anonymous - at 15:43:
“The Maryland mallards did not appear sick so the samples…were not given high priority when sent to USDA labs for testing.” It is my understanding that ducks appear asymptomatic with H5N1. That they can harbour the disease and pass it on without getting sick themselves. Anyone out there who can help me understand this correctly?
Hi Commonground. That is my understanding as well but…like all other things…there are probably exceptions to the rule.
Tom DVM - at 16:26, I was going to say something about exceptions, but this is the news thread, after all. :-)
anonymous – at 14:09 wrote” “It IS H5N1. It’s a common low-path North American strain that’s been circulating in North America, in wild migratory birds, and in the migratory flyways for 20 years.”
InKy – at 15:25 wrote”
“Re Tom DVM at 11:00 - Thanks. It seems the alternative to asking dumb questions is remaining ignorant, so I’ve asked quite a few in my lifetime ;?. Is it the case that strains of endemic low-path H5N1 simply mutated in Southeast Asia to become the high-path H5N1 we are now worried about? I had the impression that H5N1 was something new altogether, so word of a “low path” virus of the same name that’s been around for years requires that I refine my understanding.”
Effective in 2006, all confirmed (Low-Pathogen, Low-Risk) LPAI H5 and H7 AI subtypes must be reported to the OIE because of their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic strains.Therefore, USDA now tracks these detections in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial flocks and live bird markets. (excerpt)
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
“Albert Osterhaus, of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, is one of the world’s top virologists.”said:
H5N1 remains the most-watched strain in Asia and it remains extremely deadly to the people who contract it.
But Osterhaus notes that other strains of bird flu have also entered the human population and there is no reason why H5N2 — the strain now active in Siberia — could not do the same. (excerpt )
“We have now seen, since ‘97, that there are these viruses that can cross the species barrier, meaning they can also get into humans and they can cause disease and even death in humans. So, we know now that for instance the H7N7 in the Netherlands here caused one fatal case in humans,” Osterhaus said. “We know now that the H5N1 virus in southeast Asia has caused more than 100 cases in humans, of whom more than 50 have died in the meantime. And now we see in Russia that another virus, another combination — the H5N2 — is causing problems there. And so far, we have not seen that these H5N2 viruses can cause disease in humans but I think it’s far too early to say that this could not happen.”
This is a quote from Dr. Osterhaus from Katu’s post from above.
His statement describes a fact that some may not be aware of…previous to 1997 there were no recorded cases of bird flu in humans…and since 1997 we have had human bird flu cases in H5N1 and several H7 subtypes and strains.
I think to now where this virus is going, we have to ask ourselves why…why these viruses jumped the species barrier and why other viruses and bacteria have jumped the species barrier…and why there has been a rapid acceleration of virulence in parasites, viruses and bacteria…all through mutation.
We may have been lead to believe that a pandemic is going to happen only through random chance…but if there are accelerators and multipliers unknown to us…in effect pushing the mutation, adaption, evolution pathways then it may be closer than the experts may think.
Since this paper was published a year ago, Dr. Taunburgher released his teams information confirming that H1N1 was a pure avian virus which would in effect make it the first bird flu to jump the species barrier almost a hundred years ago now.
I guess the bottom line is that there may be many pressures and pressors on the environment of pathogens that we cannot comprehend or visualize.
Klatu – at 19:14, all confirmed (Low-Pathogen, Low-Risk) LPAI H5 and H7 AI subtypes must be reported to the OIE…
Except for the U.S. We don’t have to report anything.
This is the news thread. We’re not supposed to discuss stuff here and anytime now, we’re going to be slapped. People have been blatantly noncompliant with the new rules for posting news.
I think this is worth a discussion thread. It’s not going away, this will continue to develop and people will want to discuss.
InKy ¨C at 15:25 “Re Tom DVM at 11:00 - Thanks. It seems the alternative to asking dumb questions is remaining ignorant, so I¡¯ve asked quite a few in my lifetime ;¡ú. Is it the case that strains of endemic low-path H5N1 simply mutated in Southeast Asia to become the high-path H5N1 we are now worried about? I had the impression that H5N1 was something new altogether, so word of a ¡°low path¡± virus of the same name that¡¯s been around for years requires that I refine my understanding.”
You probably know this already but just in case and for lurkers who don’t :-)
The difference between LP and HP is in the presence of a unique configuration of the HA protein (chain of basic amino acids at the cleavage site where the protein splits into 2 before viral replication can occur) that, for unknown reasons, the virus acquires when infecting domestic chickens, causes a severe systemic disease resulting in close to 100% death. The origin of the HP H5N1 in Asia is thought to be from reassortment with possibly H9N2 or other unknown avian subtypes, but the acquisition of that cleavage site is a characteristic of only H5 and H7 subtypes. Since 1997, different strains of HP H5N1 have arisen from the same ‘parent’ strain in Guangdong in southern China. We don’t know exactly why but it seems that this is something that happens uniquely in that part of the world, and is still continuing.
“Every case is a test tube and H5N1 may as well be a mad scientist feverishly at work, so I wasn¡¯t really thinking that intentional exposure would be a good idea, just wondering if these viruses are similar enough that the low-path strain would produce an immune response to any degree whatsoever.”
Well, I don’t think we know the answer to that, except maybe to say that since LP H5N1 does not infect humans, you can’t really deliberately acquire immunity that way. Also, when they try to develop vaccines, they found that the H5N1 virus, for unknown reasons, is not very immunogenic, and there is very little cross-immunity between different clades, such that the WHO has had to provide different virus seed samples for vaccine manufacturers. This probably tells us that being infected with any one clade of HP H5N1 does not necessarily produce immunity anyway, let alone LP H5N1.
“Somehow I don¡¯t think this is the case. There must have been low-path strains of H5N1 in Indonesia, Thailand, China and Vietnam if there have been cases in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and who knows where else, going back 20 years or more, before the high-path strain emerged. High-path H5N1 is high-path precisely because it trumps resistance. Have I answered my own question?”
Yes, I think you have. :-)
anonymous – at 20:38
Yes, of course you are right. We can move the discussion to the Evolution Of Influenza A Viruses thread if you want. :-)
08:20, September 04, 2006
“The Egyptian Agriculture Ministry on Sunday confirmed a new case of H5N1 bird flu among fowl in Sohag Governorate, some 400 km south of Cairo, the official MENA news agency reported.
The ministry said in a statement that a sample taken from birds in various villages and farms in Sohag was tested positive for the deadly avian virus. This has been the first case of bird flu among fowl since July 5 when Egypt reported the last case after the outbreak of the epidemic on Feb. 17.
Necessary measures have been taken to cull birds in surrounding areas, according to the statement.
The ministry has also taken samples from some 20 people who were in close contact with infected birds, it said, adding all samples taken within the past period from farms or chicken pens were tested negative for the virus.
Egypt found the first bird flu case in dead poultry on Feb. 17, and the virus then spread to 20 governorates of the country’s 26 in total.” (excerpt)
http://english.people.com.cn/200609/04/eng20060904_299334.html
anon 22. 20:52. You just did it again…so what I would suggest you do is convince your brain that you are responding in a post…
…and write a book…
…I want to help with three chapters…the one’s on the World Health Organization and my friend Dick Thompson in particular, the chapter on vaccines and the chapter on antivirals…
…you are getting really good at concise explanations.
And before you right the book, I would like you to explain the 22 on your name…is it like catch 22 or something else? /:0)
BBC reports:
Avian flu research ‘could be cut’
Vital research into avian flu, environmental pollution and food safety could be reduced to save money, government scientists have claimed.
The Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has to save £200m partly due to mistakes at the Rural Payments Agency, said Farming Today. Defra has to save the money in the next six months and government scientists believe they could be the target for cuts.
Prospect told Farming Today public health could be affected if research was reduced.
Defra said until the budget was finalised, it would be premature to speculate on its potential effects.
4.400 Oseltamivir was spread in 22 community health centres
MUSIRAWAS [South Sumatra]– Not Yet the discovery suspect or the sign of bird flu in Musi Rawas, did not make the Health Service of the Mura Regional Government relaxing. To anticipate the existence suspect bird flu, his side since a long time ago carried out prevention efforts. Moreover to tighten room to move of this deadly illness of the plague emergence, not only the socialisation was carried out by Dinkes Regional Government Mura, the distribution of Tamiflu medicine was then carried out. The head Dinkes Mura drg Maimunah Ms MM yesterday explained, totalling 4.400 Tamiflu was spread in 17 subdistricts in the Mura regency territory. So as many as 22 community health centres in Mura got Tamiflu medicine supplies as anticipation if having the citizen who was expected suffered suspect bird flu.
More at: http://tinyurl.com/hf48f
Tom DVM – at 22:32 “anon 22. 20:52. You just did it again…so what I would suggest you do is convince your brain that you are responding in a post…’‘
…and write a book…”
Well, then I will need 84 hour days instead of the current 38. :-)
“…I want to help with three chapters…the one’s on the World Health Organization and my friend Dick Thompson in particular, the chapter on vaccines and the chapter on antivirals…”
Oh, sure. I’ll let you do that. LOL
…you are getting really good at concise explanations.
Thanks. You won’t believe it but I’m partially dyslexic, it comes and goes. I’ve just now stayed up (this is 5am) all night trying to write a letter explaining H5N1 and getting really messed up about it/ I should go to bed.
And before you right the book, I would like you to explain the 22 on your name…is it like catch 22 or something else? /:0)”
Well, you won’t believe this! I was only going to make ONE comment then I’ll go back to lurking, so I thought I’ll just pick anything. You know, whatever was handy. I guess the no 2 key just caught my eye or something.
LOL
dbg – at 00:08 wrote:
4.400 Oseltamivir was spread in 22 community health centres
Good Work dbg!
I am just about to do the news summary then open a new thread so you might like to hold your post for 20–30 minutes
Cheers
Closed to maintain Forum speed.