Yesterday’s news here: October 13th News Thread
Bhutan lifts ban on poultry from India
Bhutan has lifted an eight-month ban on the import of poultry, eggs and related products from India two months after New Delhi declared itself avian flu-free.
(Hat tip to Blue for posting this in the Three Cheers thread.)
U.N. launches bird flu rapid reaction squad
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation on Thursday launched a global crisis centre to monitor the spread of bird flu and despatch experts to help countries crack down on the killer virus.
The FAO’s “Crisis Management Centre” will be staffed round the clock, taking calls from countries that discover outbreaks of bird flu and sending specially trained vets anywhere in the world within 48 hours.
adding to yesterday’s news:
Sanofi Pasteur Remains On Track To Deliver 50 Million Doses Of Influenza Vaccine To U.S. Market For 2006–2007 Season
Human Bird Flu Vaccine Production May Start In Russia In 2007
New Bird Flu Vaccine Strategy For Humans Might Work
Sat Oct 14, 2006 8:08pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - “Northern pintail birds in Ohio have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. government said on Saturday, adding to recent cases in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan.
A strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in “apparently healthy” wild birds sampled October 8 in Ottawa County, located on Lake Erie about 15 miles southeast of Toledo, the departments of Agriculture and Interior said.
“Initial tests confirm that these wild bird samples do not contain the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa,” the USDA said in a statement.
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 up to 21 days to confirm whether it was the low-pathogenic H5N1 bird flu.
The virus also was found in Pennsylvania in September and in Michigan and Maryland in August.”
Low-risk H5N1 bird flu in Ohio wild birds- USDA
“WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Northern pintail birds in Ohio have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. government said on Saturday, adding to recent cases in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan.
A strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in “apparently healthy” wild birds sampled Oct. 8 in Ottawa County, located on Lake Erie about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Toledo, the departments of Agriculture and Interior said….”
Is it just my imagination, or is this the slowest news day in the history of the wiki?
Klatu – at 20:41 You click faster than I do- good work.
Many Cats – at 20:43 Is it just my imagination, or is this the slowest news day in the history of the wiki?
THAT’S the best news possible!
just to liven it up. Norwalk ?
Staff disinfecting N.B. university after viral outbreak hits more than 100
Doorknobs, computer equipment and bathroom fixtures were being disinfected Saturday as a virus continued to make rounds through New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University. More than 100 people on the picturesque campus and in the surrounding town of Sackville have fallen ill from what is believed to be a Norwalk-type virus. The school closed its public buildings and cancelled classes and extra-curricular activities on Friday to prevent further spread of the illness. ..
McClatchie said several more people were treated in hospital on Friday night for dehydration…..Norwalk is a persistent gastrointestinal virus spread through fecal-oral contact. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue and occasionally fever.
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COMMENTARY
I’m-workin’-on-it: I pray you are correct. I am perpetually pessimistic (which has the advantage that you can only be pleasantly surprized), and just have a nagging worry that it is the real calm before the real storm. Sorry if that’s a downer… :(
Health officials investigate cause of students’ illnesses
Massachusetts health officials are trying to determine what caused 30 students from Meriden and five teachers to become ill during a trip to a nature center.
The school cut short the four-day trip and returned to Meriden on Wednesday because so many of them had flu-like symptoms that couldn’t be explained, said Robert Parker, a spokesman for Area Cooperative Educational Services, which operates Edison.
The students and teachers all have recovered, but were asked to stay home from school until two days after their symptoms disappeared.”It is kind of a mystery as to what it is,” Parker said.
Australia offers Rp 11b for bird flu
JAKARTA: Australia has pledged a further Rp 11 billion to strengthen the capacity of disease investigation centers to diagnose the avian influenza virus in poultry.
The project is part of a Rp 107 billion package that Australia has pledged to combat the virus in Indonesia. …
The diagnosis will be managed by the Australian Animal Health Laboratory. It will increase the capacity of national, regional and provincial laboratories in Indonesia to investigate suspected avian influenza cases and outbreaks
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