Forum: News Reports for October 10

Yesterday’s news is here

I vaguely remember something about die-offs in Iran a few weeks ago. Don’t know if this is the same incident or new.

Unconfirmed report raises suspicion of Bird Flu virus in Iran

A newspaper published in Baku, Azerbaijan has reported that about 2,000 dead birds have been found in a water reservoir in Iran near the Armenian border.

snip

The specific reservoir was not named in the article. There are two reservoirs on Iranian territory along the Arax River – the Arax-Hydro Unit in Nakichevan and the Horadiz, which borders Nagorno Karabakh. (Iran and Armenia share borders with the Arax.)

snip

“I have talked to my Iranian colleague, and he doesn’t have any information, either,” said Grisha Baghyan, head of the State Veterinary Inspection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Sick aircraft passengers believed to be drug runners

Ten suspected drug runners were rushed to hospital after arriving at Sydney Airport on a flight from Bangkok yesterday.

Australian Federal Police and Customs agents were investigating but would not say more until further information was available.

However, a Federal Police spokeswoman ruled out bird flu.

It is understood the passengers were believed to be drug runners, but this would not be confirmed until further testing.

snip

Vehicles from Sudan to be sprayed against bird flu

Vehicles from Sudan entering Uganda through Koboko and Arua districts are to be disinfected.

This follows the confirmed cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba last month.

Health officials at a three-day regional workshop on bird flu that ended in Arua town on Friday recommended spraying in light of the increased business traffic between Uganda and Juba.

snip

Bird Flu Patient in RSHS was affected by Brain Infection

On Tuesday, October 10 2006

Indonesian Archipelago - West Java - Banten

(software translation from Indonesian)

Bandung — MIOL:” The Condition Mama Lunar, 67, suspect bird flu that was treated in RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung, increasingly worsened.

Till Tuesday (10/10) villagers bar Sand, the Cisarua Subdistrict, the Bandung Regency, West Java did not yet make itself aware resulting from the serious infection on his brain.

“Indeed had a kind of infection on his brain, so as he (Mama) did not yet make himself aware.”

‘’‘So the team of the control doctor of RSHS bird flu involved several nerves specialists, said the Chairman of the team of the control doctor of the bird flu virus of RSHS Bandung, Hadi Jusuf to the Indonesian Media. According to Hadi, nevertheless the condition for the health Mama still could be returned like originally. ‘’‘

“Indeed since last Monday (9/10), Mama did not make himself aware as a result of his brain was affected by the infection.”

- excerpt

http://www.mediaindo.co.id/berita.asp?id=113733

Avian Influenza Virus of Subtype H7N2 Isolated from Chickens in Northern China

Journal Virus Genes - Dec 2005

Abstract: “An H7N2 avian influenza virus was isolated from chickens during routine surveillance in northern China in 2002. To understand the origin of this virus, we completely sequenced its genome. The PB1, PA, HA, and M genes of this virus were highly homologous with those of the wild bird virus A/Africa starling/Eng-Q/983/79 (H7N1). The NP and NS genes were closely related to those of two other wild bird viruses isolated 30 years ago.

The closest relatives of the PB2 and NA genes of the virus were those of the A/swine/Germany/2/81 (H1NI) and A/Leningrad/134/57 (H2N2), respectively. Animal inoculation tests showed that the virus cannot replicate efficiently in chickens. However, after intranasal inoculation, the virus induced 20% weight loss and replicated well in the lungs of mice.

The virus was also recovered from the hearts and brains of the mice. These results suggest that the influenza virus isolated in chickens in northern China in 2002 originated in wild birds and may pose a threat for both avian species and mammalian hosts.” - excerpt

http://www.springerlink.com/content/034207281w65g036/

Klatu. Thanks again

I have been wondering for some time…what if instead of mutating, the 1918 virus simply reassorted with another avian influenza subtype…

…our worst nightmare might be a reassortment between a strain of the H7 subtype similar to that which caused the outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003 reassorting with H5N1(Asian)…this could occur in Europe or in Asia.

not exactly H5N1 news, but to help tie up loose ends-

Panama follow up

“Panamanian authorities say they suspect a medicine taken to treat high blood pressure may be among the factors leading to the deaths of 21 people since July who have succumbed to a mysterious illness that triggers kidney failure…. The drug’s Spanish manufacturer, generic drug maker Normon SA, issued a statement denying that its medicine was the cause and adding that there have been no problems in other countries where it is sold…”

http://tinyurl.com/gy7rc

Milo - at 10:54 - Just as a coincidence only, a Travel Warning went up for Sudan - the day before this decision, October 5th. Travel Warning is against violence, has nothing to do with H5N1…..
Excerpt:
On October 1, the Government of Sudan announced that the movements of all U.S. citizens visiting Sudan would be restricted to a 25-mile radius of the Republican Palace in Central Khartoum. The Sudanese government has not clarified whether Americans who already possess travel permits will be allowed to go beyond the 25 mile radius.
-snip-
The Sudanese Government requires that anyone seeking to enter the Darfur area, or to take photographs or perform other journalistic functions anywhere in Sudan, must obtain a special permit. This includes journalists, photographers, and other press/media employees.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_934.html

MALAYSIA: Respiratory illness on increase due to haze from Indonesian fires

Indonesian embassy hit by protest as respiratory illnesses in Malaysian state spike

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Members of a Malaysian opposition party protested outside the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia’s main city Tuesday, urging Jakarta to stop the hundreds of fires blamed for a lingering, stifling haze.

Respiratory illnesses in the hard-hit state of Sarawak have risen by more than 30 percent in the past two months, the Sarawak state health department said in a statement, while authorities began to mobilize health services to deal with the sharp increase in haze-related cases. <snip>

On Tuesday, about 10 protesters organized by the Democratic Action Party carried banners reading “Sign Now” and “keep our skies blue” outside Jakarta’s consulate, urging Indonesia to ratify a regional agreement to combat the annual problem. <snip>

The Indonesian embassy meanwhile, said in a statement Tuesday that authorities there were “hoping for a return to normal conditions” soon and acknowledged Malaysia was affected by annual land-clearing fires. The haze is an annual occurrence caused by the fires in Indonesia, and sometimes in Malaysia. <snip>

In Sarawak on Borneo island, the state health department said in its statement that cases of respiratory illness had risen 33 percent in the past two months, blaming it squarely on the haze. The Star newspaper said around 40 clinics have been mobilized to deal with the problem. Sarawak, which lies across a land border from Indonesia’s East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan provinces, had been the hardest hit Malaysian state until last week when wind directions changed and engulfed central Malaysia. http://tinyurl.com/nhvea

The haze in SE Asia is a serious problem this year. Wikipedia has an interesting article about it here. Looks horrendous.

Egypt detects new human H5N1 bird flu case

http://tinyurl.com/mjso2

Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:12 PM BST

 Email This Article | Print This Article | RSS [-] Text [+] 

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities have detected the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus in an Egyptian woman, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.

The official said the woman had tested positive for the avian influenza virus in tests carried out by Egyptian health authorities.

slightly more from a different article about the H5N1 in Egypt: http://tinyurl.com/ohxf7

Egypt detects new human H5N1 bird flu case

…..Hassan el-Bushra, regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance at the World Health Organization, said the woman had tested positive for the avian influenza virus in tests carried out by Egyptian health authorities.

Hanan Aboul Magd, 39, has been in hospital since October 4 and has been treated with the drug Tamiflu. Her condition was stable, state news agency MENA reported.

Egypt has had the largest cluster of human bird flu cases outside Asia, and the fresh case came a month after authorities found a number of new cases in birds following a two-month lull in detected poultry cases.

Possible avian flu case detected in natural park near Valencia

Saturday, October 7, 2006

“A laboratory in Algete (Madrid) is investigating a possible case of avian flu after a dead duck showing similar symptoms was found in the Albufera natural park south of Valencia.

Preliminary reports indicate that the dead duck did not have the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, but a 10km security perimeter has been set up as a security measure.

According to a regional government source, the dead duck was sent for analysis last Wednesday along with 35 others, according to nationwide health and safety protocols for cases where “there is even the slightest suspicion” of a possible infection.

http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/11985

It is important to note, thanks Snowhound 1 and Klatu, that H5N1 has not disappeared from Europe and the Middle East…and appears to be continuing from where it left off last year…

…I don’t know on what basis, anyone would conclude that this virus is going away.

Tom DVM – at 12:06 wrote:

I have been wondering for some time…what if instead of mutating, the 1918 virus simply reassorted with another avian influenza subtype…

…our worst nightmare might be a reassortment between a strain of the H7 subtype similar to that which caused the outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003 reassorting with H5N1(Asian)…this could occur in Europe or in Asia.

After I read the following, I think anything is possile. I can’t remember if I posted this. So much recombination - so little time.

 !!!Next pandemic may not be due to H5N1.

Chinese Medical Journal, 2006,

CONCLUSION

In Netherlands/Germany in 2003, the highly pathogenic H7N7 influenza viruses that was lethal to poultry infected the eyes of more than 80 people and killed one person;’‘’ H6 and H9 have spread from a wild aquatic bird reservoir to domestic poultry over the past 10 years. H9N2 viruses have also been associated with human infections in the mainland of China and Hong Kong. Avian influenza H10N7 seems to have crossed the species barrier from poultry to people for the first time. Hence, it is possible that the next influenza pandemic may not be due to H5N1.’‘’

- excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/k6sds

Klatu. You I think are the world’s best researcher and supplier of ammunition(evidence) with which to ‘club’ World Health Authorities and anyone else in authority who is not doing their job…

…but you have a memory that appears to be as bad as mine. I think that article has been posted twice in the last three days…this makes three times…

…and I have already copied it twice to put it on two separate threads. /:0)

Tom DVM…It just happens that every now and then H5N1 takes a reprieve of sorts. This is when so many lose interest when “bird flu” kind of falls off of their radar. Unfortunately, after following the “news” for over a year, those reprieves tend to be quite short. Worse news almost always follows. No one has ever said that the “pandemic” will start in Indonesia…who knows where the hotspot will actually turn out to be. I have always felt that it would start someplace we weren’t even watching…or that wasn’t “telling”. I do know that it is hard to keep people interested in the subject when it is being silent for the moment. This is when I become more watchful. There are hidden reservoirs of the virus in much of the world now, IMHO. It could make the jump from just about anywhere, or in conjunction with something else.

Snowhound 1. I agree with everything you just said…for the reasons you discussed, I think it will break out in either North Korea or China…in either case, we are not going to know about it for a long time.

Hey Tom, Do you have plans to go to the Olympics in Beijing? I will bet you that nothing “big” will happen in China between now and now. >;)

bump

Tom DVM – at 19:35 wrote:

…but you have a memory that appears to be as bad as mine. I think that article has been posted twice in the last three days…this makes three times…

…and I have already copied it twice to put it on two separate threads. /:0)

Klatu – at 19:28 wrote:

“I can’t remember if I posted this. So much recombination - so little time.”

I make no apology, as Nature rapidly accelerates me towards my glorious decrepitude. You wus warned.

Pigs, cats in Indonesia infected with H5N1

“Osterhaus, cat-to-human transmission is theoretically possible” ‘

Oct 10, 2006 (CIDRAP News) – “Pigs and stray cats have been found infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Indonesia, adding to the few previous reports of such cases, according to news services.

A study from Udayana University found that two pigs on the island of Bali were infected with the H5N1 virus in July, senior agriculture minister Musni Suatmodjo told Reuters yesterday. According to news reports, veterinary faculty from the university discovered the infected pigs in Bali’s south-central Gianyar and Tabanan regencies.

News reports didn’t say if the pigs were sick or died.

Flu experts worry about H5N1 findings in pigs because the animals can carry human as well as avian influenza viruses, which presents the viruses an opportunity to combine and form new strains that could spark a human flu pandemic.

This isn’t the first time that the H5N1 virus has been identified in Indonesian pigs. In 2005, a report in Nature said the virus was found in 5 of 10 healthy pigs kept near poultry farms in western Java where poultry were infected with H5N1. The report said the Indonesian government had found similar results among pigs in the same region.

The H5N1 virus was also found in pigs in China in 2001 and 2003, but follow-up surveys in 2004 found no evidence of the virus, according to the Nature article.

Meanwhile, researchers from the Indonesian Environment Information Center (PILI) in Yogyakarta announced that stray cats had caught the H5N1 virus from infected poultry at live markets, according to a report Oct 7 in the Jakarta Post. There were no details about the location of the stray cats or if they were sick or died.

“We are positive that cats can have the virus, although it is yet to be proven that they can transmit the virus to other animals or humans,” said PILI director Iwan Setiawan.

Other instances of cats infected with the H5N1 virus have been documented: house cats in Germany, Thailand, and Austria, and a leopard and tigers at a zoo near Bangkok.

But the role of cats in transmitting the H5N1 virus is not known. The World Health Organization said earlier this year that no human cases have been linked to diseased cats. However, Albert Osterhaus, a virologist with the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, said that cat-to-human transmission is theoretically possible and that cat-to-cat transmission has been shown in a laboratory setting.

Meanwhile, in the United States, final tests showed that the flu virus found in wild northern pintail ducks in west-central Montana’s Cascade County last month was an H5N3, a mild strain, not the deadly Asian strain of H5N1, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Oct 7.

In September, investigators found the H5 and N1 virus subtypes in healthy ducks. The samples were sent to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, where investigators found a low-pathogenic H5N3 virus in 2 of 16 samples.”

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/oct1006pigs.html

Dr. Albert Osterhaus is one of the world’s leading virologists and his group was the first to identify human infection with the avian influenza strain H5N1. - excerpt

http://ec.europa.eu/research/profiles/index_en.cfm?p=1_osterhaus

Canada - Dead ducks shock B.C. seniors

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 10, 2006

CBC News

“A Chilliwack senior says she is convinced that the recent deaths of about 240 ducks in a Fraser Valley park near her apartment complex were caused by a chemical or pesticide on farmers’ fields.

Patricia Jaster was among a group of 15 seniors who discovered the dead and dying ducks along the lakeshore while out for a walk in Sardis Park a week ago.

Ducks were gasping for breath, trying to come out of the water, getting out onto the land and just dying,” she told CBC Radio on Tuesday. Jaster says city workers were bagging the dead birds and hauling them away.

Fungus may be to blame

The City of Chilliwack says early tests show the ducks died of a fungal infection, perhaps contracted while feeding in a cornfield.

Jaster says she suspects humans are to blame for the massive duck kill.

“If it’s chemical poisoning, if it’s something from either the water or from farmers’ fields, how can they be allowed to put so much on that it kills the wildlife?”

Environment Canada is carrying out tests on the ducks to see if pesticides contributed to the deaths.”

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/10/10/bc-dead-ducks.html

“early tests show the ducks died of a fungal infection, perhaps contracted while feeding in a cornfield.” This conclusion would be highly unusual.

 The more likely cause at this time of year would be botchilism. 

This is not a time of year when farmers would be using chemicals that could cause poisoning in ducks so this would be unusual as well but possible.

I would think H5N1 would be one of the rule outs as well.

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

Not exactly news, but here is an example of increasingly bold “warning rhetoric” from Indonesia.

The Department of Communication and Information gave out the following English translation of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that it ran today on Page Two of the country’s most widely-circulated newspaper, Kompas. The translation is courtesy of the Ministry.

I am told that the tagline of the announcement is: “Fight bird flu NOW!” — with a white feather in a circle. Haven’t seen it myself yet, and I do not have a URL for the PSA.

“Let your poultry be culled before your family get killed.

“It is ironic if poultry which support a family’s income should be culled. It is sad if a family’s “source of protein” should be a source of disaster. Don’t blame anyone yet not ignoring it. For sure you have to let go of those sick poultry before the H5N1 virus infecting [your] neighbor’s poultry. Before it spreads to the whole village, before it turns into pandemic across the world.

“If we let those sick poultry alive, bird flu might be not only a family’s disaster, but a nation’s disaster. Hence, fight bird flu NOW!

“Separate poultry area from family area, do not allow poultry to get into house. Put them in a coop for 24 hours, separate from other pets and vaccinate. Clean their coops regularly and disinfect. Always wash your hands with soap every after handling poultry. Do not consume sick/dead chicken, if there is any which suddenly get sick or died, let them be culled although for the whole coop. Burn then bury. However, keep consuming chicken meat and eggs as long as they are well cooked because both are needed to fulfill your family’s need of nutrition.

“This public service announcement is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information.”

Darwin the son Sitepu, 16 years, the patient suspect bird flu in RSUD Deli Serdang…

Already villagers’s two Wonosari days, the Market Seven, this Morawa Cape Subdistrict was still being treated intensively in VIP Space the Orchid Ii RSUD Deli Serdang… 38 celsius..child experienced hot high after touching his five chickens that died suddenly…

http://tinyurl.com/k9tar

Tom DVM — just out of curiosity, do birds have issues with aflatoxin? I know edema from liver failure can cause gasping in poultry, but I don’t think that aflatoxin would act quite that quickly. At least, it wouldn’t in mammals.

Human H5N1 case in Egypt

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061010/wl_nm/birdflu_egypt_dc_3

Closed to increase server speed