link to News Summary for November 26 and News Reports for November 27 here
link to previous day’s News Reports
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/worldhotnews/read.php?newsid=30020081
This is on the South Korean outbreak
from Madamspinner’s link: …”By Thursday, the ministry plans to complete the culling of about
236,000 chickens and ducks, he said, as well as 300 pigs and 577 dogs.
Excavators were brought in to dig burial pits”…
so, the virus will remain in the soil and water for how long? there must be some best-practice mass animal cull disposal options somewhere. What happened to the in-barn, special, corpse-composting idea, to kill the virus?…
I posted this on the rumors thread, but it is news. Forgive me if someone else already has posted it…I was away for a while.
Viral fever affects 5,000 in Sri Lanka:
A doctor is quoted as saying:
“We have confirmed there is an outbreak going on in Kalmunai, Mannar, Batticaloa, Puttalam and some parts of Colombo city,” he added. “It is in densely populated pockets.”
Abeysinghe said he believed up to 60 percent of reported fever cases were due to Chikungunya.
“There are several different fevers. Not all fevers reported are Chikungunya,” he said, but added that bird flu was “very, very unlikely because there are no respiratory symptoms, no cough or cold or anything like that”.
“Other countries do it “(kill cats & dogs)
Nov 27 2006
icWales
“SOUTH KOREA plans to kill cats and dogs to try to prevent the spread of bird flu after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus at a chicken farm last week, officials said today.’‘’
Animal health experts, however, suggested it was “a bit of an extreme measure” when there was no definitive scientific evidence to suggest that cats or dogs could pass the virus to humans.’‘’ Quarantine officials have already killed 125,000 chickens within a 1,650-foot radius of the outbreak site in Iksan, about 155 miles south of Seoul, the Agriculture Ministry said.
Officials began slaughtering poultry yesterday, a day after they confirmed that the outbreak was caused by the H5N1 strain. They plan to slaughter a total of 236,000 poultry, as well as an unspecified number of other animals, including pigs, and all dogs and cats in the area by Thursday, the ministry said. About 6 million eggs also will be destroyed, it said.
Slaughtering cats and dogs near an area infected with bird flu would be highly unusual in Asia. Indonesia has killed pigs in the past, but most countries concentrate solely on destroying poultry.
However, it would not be the first time for South Korea to kill cats and dogs due bird flu concerns. An official at the Agriculture Ministry said South Korea had slaughtered cats and dogs along with 5.3 million birds during the last known outbreak of bird flu in 2003.
Another ministry official, Kim Chang-sup, insisted killing cats and dogs to curtail the spread of bird flu was not an unusual practice.
“Other countries do it. They just don’t talk about it,” Kim said, adding that all mammals are potentially subject to the virus and that South Korea is just trying to take all possible precautionary measures. He declined to comment further.
(Software Translation)
November 27, 2006
“The agriculture ministry said the death of some 200 chickens at a farm in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of Seoul, was due to a mild strain of bird flu not lethal to humans.
The ministry said the government would ban the movement of birds from the Pyeongtaek farm, but that sick chickens would not be slaughtered because they usually recover from the mild strain.
On Thursday the ministry announced an apparently more virulent suspected outbreak in the southern city of Iksan, the first suspected bird flu case since the nation declared itself free of the disease last December.”
In 2003, H3N2, H6N1, and H9N2 were detected in South Korean live markets - farm outbreaks of H5N1 and H5N2 were also reported in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
H9 has been recently been flagged by Chinese scientists as capeable of zooinosis with pandemic potential.
In 2003, H3N2, H6N1, and H9N2 were detected in South Korean live markets - farm outbreaks of H5N1 and H5N2 were also reported in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
H9 has been recently been flagged by Chinese scientists as capeable of zooinosis with pandemic potential.
This showed up on News Now last night . . .
Monday, November 27, 2006
Home > National > Politics/Diplomacy
Zoom in Zoom out Print 2006/11/27 12:37 KST
Bird flu spreads in South Korea despite quarantine measures
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) — Bird flu was found in a pair of chickens raised in South Korea’s southern city of Seosan, north of Iksan where the first outbreak took place and thousands of chickens were subsequently culled, government officials said Monday.
The chickens found to be infected with the deadly epidemic had been born out of eggs supplied from the Iksan poultry farm where the highly-virulent strain of bird flu was discovered last week, the provincial officials said.
Clawdia, nice work!
Do you have a link to , “Bird flu spreads in South Korea despite quarantine measures
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) “, I’d like to track down the reference about, “epidemic had been born out of eggs”.
Merci.
NEWS - WHO new chief expounds goal of building “harmonious health world” - …On the threat of an influenza pandemic, Chan said the world still needs to keep high vigilance, although the global avian influenza situation seemed to be less serious compared with last year.’… http://preview.tinyurl.com/yk23yd
And I just found this . . .
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20061127/410100000020061127234859E0.html
I hit post too soon - re: 10:12
Additional cases of suspected AI reported in Iksan
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) — A suspected case of avian influenza has been reported by a chicken farm, located about 3 kilometers from the outbreak site of a highly virulent avian flu in Iksan of North Jeolla Province, the Agriculture Ministry said Monday.
The latest report of a suspected case of avian influenza raised fears that the highly contageous avian flu virus may have already spread beyond the government-set high risk zone. Since Sunday, the quarantine authorities have been slaughtering all poultry within the 500-meter radius of the initially infected farm in Iksan, about 250 kilometers south of Seoul.
Africa put on alert over Bird Flu
African countries have been put on notice to be on high alert for possible out break of dreaded Avian Influenza, as the level of vulnerability was particularly high in areas where poultry breeding and marketing systems allow close contact between people and birds. ….
At least eight African countries early this year had their first experience of the epizootic, with 14 cases of human infections that resulted in six deaths reported in Egypt.
More than 1,300 cases of bird flu were reported on the continent with 95 per cent of them occurring in both Egypt and Nigeria.
The virus also infected bird species in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Niger and Sudan. …
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/2006…0090409041.html November 28, 2006 KST 01:12 (GMT+9)
Zoom InZoom OutPrintPrint
Avian flu outbreak moves up west coast
November 29, 2006 ㅡ DAEJEON - Two chickens at a farm in Seosan, South Chungcheong province, were confirmed to have been infected with bird flu, the South Chungcheong provincial government said yesterday. “Two of 80 chicks tested at a farm in Hwacheonri, Seosan, were found positive for bird flu and were referred to the National Veterinary Research Quarantine Service,” a provincial government official said. The infected chicks were among 49,000 chicks sent to Seosan on Nov. 20 by two breeding farms in Iksan, 140 kilometers south of Seosan, where the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu was first discovered Thursday. The virus strain in the new outbreak will not be known until this Thursday, authorities said. According to the provincial government, none of the chicks at the farm showed symptoms of the disease. Until the test results are ready, the provincial government will only keep the chicks under observation and ban their transfer. Other tests are under way at five additional farms who bought chicks from breeding farms in Iksan. . .
‘’‘Turkey and Indonesia report new bird flu deaths 16/01/2006 21:52′’‘
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey said on Monday a fourth person had died of avian flu as authorities slaughtered tens of thousands of birds to try to contain the outbreak.
Indonesia announced a 13-year-old girl had also died at the weekend of the H5N1 virus, while two of her siblings were ill. Indonesia has previously reported 12 deaths from bird flu.
Human victims had been confined to East Asia until this month, when three infected children from the same family died in eastern Turkey, showing the deadly H5N1 strain had reached the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed health ministry tests, which showed Fatma Ozcan died on Sunday of H5N1.
Ozcan, believed to be in her teens, came from the small town of Dogubayazit, home to the three other children who died. All were infected in late December or early January, the WHO said
DennisC, that story is dated January 16, 2006. Don’t know why it’s showing up today
I am begining to “disbelieve” the date on the UK article.
Yes, wasn’t Ozccan was from a while back? … I see it now. the article mentions the WHO numbers at 78 so it cannot be dated correctly.
North Carolina-1918 pandemic
Eye-witness observations from survivors of the 1918 pandemic in NC-paraphrasing, deaths occurred so often that our parents forgot to shield us as they talked about them.
<snip>Overshadowed by the carnage of World War I, the Spanish flu pandemic now serves as the “worst-case scenario” for state and federal public health and emergency management officials scrambling to prepare for a future global outbreak of influenza. If history were to repeat itself, federal health officials say more than 2 million Americans would die and 90 million would be infected — an Armageddon of disease that would swamp hospital systems and quickly exhaust limited supplies of medicine and equipment.<snip>
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/514837.html
comment This is a long and chatty narrative, with names and family stories of pandemic victims, as well as stark facts. It may be suited to some unconvinced friends and relatives who might identify with it. But it’s too bad that it’s the “worst case scenario.”
The vaccine could also speed up virus mutations and trigger a human pandemic, he said.
Tuesday November 28, 2006
Bangkok Post
“Representatives of chicken raisers yesterday asked the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to drop its plan to use the anti-bird flu vaccine in fowl for fear this would harm both human health and the broiler, or young chicken, industry. Nathsak Pattanakulchai, vice-president of the Broiler Raisers for Exporting Association, submitted the request to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thira Sutabutra through his secretary..
Mr Nathsak said vaccinating poultry was not a practical means to curb the virus, which can mutate, and at one point there would be no effective vaccine to deal with it.
The vaccine could also speed up virus mutations and trigger a human pandemic, he said. - excerpt
November 27, 2006
(software translation)
“Chicken farm operators at Seosan, just north of the site of a bird flu outbreak in Iksan, 230 kilometers south of Seoul, have formally requested an investigation by the state veterinary service after more than 1,000 chickens died since Nov. 20 without a clear reason.”
P.S. The above reports on chicken deaths in Seosan raise significant credibility issues surrounding the outbreak there.
South Korea
From a story in Taiwan newspaper:
Authorities are keeping tight controls on the movement of people and vehicles in the area of the affected farm.
<snip>Japan has already suspended South Korean poultry imports and started requiring people arriving from the country to disinfect their shoes.
“Blood tests on people in the area showed no one has been affected by the virus,” Oh Dae-kyu, head of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, told reporters.<snip>
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2006/11/27/2003338062
Clawdia – at 11:30 wrote:
“none of the chicks at the farm showed symptoms of the disease.”
Thanks Clawdia, one more and you earn a hat-trick. This is very significant. You’ll be reading more about this in the days to come.
Merci Beaucoups.
It’s early morning in Korea, another day, another news cycle. Keep your eyes & ears open.
Gort: Any H5N1 high-path outbreak in birds is worth following, but as of yet, no cases have appeared in people in this area of Korea. We have had asymptomatic birds before. Why are you particularly worried about this? Why is it “very significant”? I am not arguing, just trying to get your logic. The Thai business about vaccination maybe pushing H5N1 into a human transmissible strain was more worrying to me. This is NOT a knock against Clawdia, by the way, who I thank very much for her eagle eyed coverage of this breaking story.
Mystery bird deaths continue
Bird carcasses continue to pile up in areas around Havelock North, as council officials wonder what is killing them
NZ City.com
27 November 2006
More dead birds are turning up in areas around Havelock North, while the search for their mystery killer continues.
Most of the birds picked up since last week have been from Anderson Park, but there have also been reported of dead birds in other areas, including Te Mata Peak.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is coordinating the investigation into what is killing them.
Group manager Mike Adye says mass bird deaths are not uncommon, but the Havelock North case is unusual in the range of species dying. Sparrows, blackbirds, starlings and a few magpies have all fallen victim to the mystery illness.
At least four cats and a dog have died after coming into contact with carcasses of the birds. “
The intestinal tract of cats is significantly different from dogs.
Infomass @ 16:59
I find South Korea to be so worrisome for more than one reason - the area of the farm culled over the weekend is engaged in poultry production - and production of breeding stock, domestic and export, I believe. South Korean biosecurity has been very good, especially for the past couple of years, and an outbreak would mean that the virus has managed to get around the biosecurity measures.
I’m a bit concerned that by the time the chickens are dying, the virus has moved on - but on to where, at this point, is THE question - well, moved where, and by what route.
Clawdia – at 18:04 wrote”
Infomass @ 16:59
“I find South Korea to be so worrisome for more than one reason - the area of the farm culled over the weekend is engaged in poultry production - and production of breeding stock, domestic and export, I believe.”
Clawdia,
The area of concern involves the largest poultry operator in Korea - the shape of things to come.
Don’t be afraid, and don’t take any wooden nickels. The truth is out there, and nobody has a monopoly on the truth.
The truth, will protect you.
Take care, (all of you).
In 2005, the US imported $2,000 worth of meat, poultry and related products from South Korea, up from zero in 2002–2004. I expect that small an amount is canned or processed rather than fresh or frozen. [Go to www.fedstats.gov and go to “Bureau of the Census/International Trade and then click on “statistics” and use search engine for trade with Korea, South.] We would be seeing problems in Japan well before the US if this is a pandemic issue. Thailand is a much larger poultry exporter and should be more of a concern in that respect. Of course, any outbreak is of concern and should be watched, but I still do not see the reason for being especially worried about South Korea — of course, you guys could be right that this is a real problem. Time will tell.
Jane – at 14:27 North Carolina-1918 pandemic
I wrote to the journalist who did this piece. He said he had written more with more “what we can do now” but the piece was shortened. Still good for bringing it to the public.
Best if read by…..
January 2005 Turkey cases now showing up on CBS.
A Yahoo news search on Flu [at about 0115 GMT 28 November 2006] turned up a CBS story dated 6 January 2005, on a page dated 1107 EST 27 November 2006. I expect this will happen a few more times this week, here and there.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/243952/1/.html
Asia Pacific News
Bird flu shows signs of spreading in South Korea Posted: 28 November 2006 1154 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
South Korean health officials carry samples of bird flu-infected chickens
SEOUL: The potentially deadly H5NI strain of bird flu has apparently spread to a second poultry farm in South Korea, health authorities said on Tuesday, as a cull of tens of thousands of chickens continued around the first farm.
The second case was reported on a farm in Hwangdeung district, some three kilometres southwest of the farm in Seokmae village where the virus was first discovered last week.
Both farms are on the outskirts of the city of Iksan, 230 kilometres (141 miles) south of Seoul.
“Tests are being conducted after a second suspected case of a highly pathogenic avian flu was found,” the agriculture ministry said, adding the results would be known by late Tuesday.
The farm in Hwangdeung reported to health authorities after some 200 of its 12,000 chickens died on Sunday.
“If the case is confirmed as a highly pathogenic case, all the birds within a radius of 500 metres from the second farm would also be culled,” a quarantine official at Iksan told AFP.
Three checkpoints manned by quarantine authorities and police were set up around the Hwangdeung farm to control vehicle and people movements, he said.
The agriculture ministry has been culling tens of thousands of poultry and other animals since a highly contagious strain of the H5N1 virus was detected at the farm at Seokmae.
The ministry said more than 170,000 chicken at several farms within a radius of 500 metres from the site of the first infection had been slaughtered and buried during the past two days.
More than 6.6 million eggs and newly hatched chickens produced in the area were also destroyed.