Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Korea Emergency report

ProMed ^ | 12/13/03 | Chang-Seob Kim

[kdono]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza in Korea (Rep. of ~) Suspected outbreak

(Disease never reported before in the Republic of Korea).

Emergency report

Information received on 12 Dec 2003 from Dr Chang-Seob Kim, Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Gwacheon:

Date of the report: 12 Dec 2003.

Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 11 Dec 2003.

Outbreaks:

Location Eumsung district, Chungcheong-buk province, in the central part of the country) No. of outbreaks: 1 farm

[This is not good news, as recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza have been in the southeastern most part of China in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, beginning with the now historic outbreak of bird-to-human H5N1 in 1997. OIE indicates South Korea has never had the disease before, and Japan has not had an outbreak since 1925. Several outbreaks have been reported in Europe and United States over the past few years. Eradication is usually is a difficult process and costly in the best of circumstances.

Generally chickens and turkeys exhibit severe depression, inappetence, significant drops in egg production, edema of the head, and cyanotic combs and wattles. Mortality is usually high, sometimes reaching 100 percent. The postmortem picture contains many features, the most notable of which include edema of the head and neck area, severe congestion of conjunctiva and hemorrhages in the intestines, particularly on the mucosal surface of the proventriculus (part of the cranial stomach of birds that secretes acid and is located between the crop and gizzard). Necrosis of intestinal lymphoid tissue is also a prominent postmortem feature. - Mod.PC]

[kdono]

Interestingly, last February it was a report of fatal H5N1 infections in Hong Kong in a family that had visited Fujian Province, that initiated the investigation that subsequently discovered SARS.

This outbreak is in Korea and is the same subtype (H5N1) as the fatal infection in Hong Kong last year. This outbreak clearly has had a major inpact on the chickens (19,000 died and the remaining 5,000 were destroyed).

Fujian Province is just north of Guangdong Province, the origin and epicenter for SARS, but it is quite some distance from Korea.

As noted above, ProMed editor was not particularly pleased with the development.

[kdono]

From last years report

http://www.who.int/docstore/wer/pdf/2003/wer7809.pdf

Influenza A(H5N1), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China – update 1

As of 20 February 2003, the Department of Health in Hong Kong SAR confirmed that a 33-year-old man, who died in hospital in Hong Kong on 17 February, had been infected with a strain of the influenza A(H5N1)virus.

A nasopharyngeal swab taken from the man and tested in the Government Virus Unit was positive for influenza A(H5N1). The 33-year-old man is the second confirmed case of influ-enza A(H5N1) virus related to this outbreak in Hong Kong SAR. The man is known to have been the father of the 9-year-old boy reported as testing positive for influenza A(H5N1) on 19 February. Both cases had travelled to Fujian Province (China) in January. Two other members of the family who accompanied them to Fujian in January have also been unwell. The mother of the family has now made a full recovery; the other affected member of the family (an 8-year-old girl) died on 4 February in Fujian Province. The health authorities in Hong Kong SAR are continuing labo-atory and epidemiological investigations to determine the source of infection of this outbreak. Further laboratory tests, including gene sequencing, are being conducted. The Department of Health in Hong Kong has reported that no unusual increase in influenza activity has been detected over the past few weeks.

WHO is in close contact with the health authorities in Beijing, China and in Hong Kong, SAR. The WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network has been alerted, and additional reagents for laboratory diagnosis are being made available to National Influenza Centres and other members of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network.

[tsmith130]

Generally chickens and turkeys exhibit severe depression...

Huh!?

[kdono]

Generally chickens and turkeys exhibit severe depression...Huh!?

They also die (as do humans).

[kdono]

FYI

[kdono]

This report might be clearer:


DEC 13, 2003
S. Korea tests poultry farm for bird flu
Up to 19,000 birds have died, and a highly contagious flu that can be deadly to humans is suspected

SEOUL - South Korean veterinary experts are carrying out tests on chickens at a farm near Seoul for suspected cases of a highly contagious type of bird flu that can, in the case of certain strains, be deadly to humans.

The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement yesterday that the results of final tests would be released next week.

If its suspicions are confirmed, it would be the first cases of highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza in South Korea.

'The National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service test showed suspected cases of avian influenza in chickens,' the statement said.

'According to the quarantine experts, it is highly possible for this case to be highly pathogenic influenza.'

As a precautionary measure, the authorities have destroyed all the remaining 5,000 chickens at the affected farm, which is about 80km south-east of Seoul, according to the statement.

Between Dec 5 and 11, some 19,000 chickens had died out of a total of 24,000 birds, it added.

'It is too early to say it is HP avian influenza, but if it is, it would be Korea's first case,' an official at the ministry said.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/storyprintfriendly/0,1887,225143,00.html?

[Justa]

"Date of initial detection of... animal health incident: 11 Dec 2003.

Isn't this better suited for posting on PETA's website?

[e_engineer]

Not unless they mention how the last 5000 chickens were destroyed:

[kdono]

Isn't this better suited for posting on PETA's website?

H5N1 has produced fatal infections in humans.

[Free Trapper]

This is a little too close to our military in South Korea for comfort if it gets bad.

k,thanks for the ping. :)

[kdono]

Here's more on bird flu:

Flu Virus From Bird Infects Boy in Asia
Experts Worried About Global Pandemic

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 14, 2003; Page A03


While the start of this year's flu season has been especially wretched, flu experts say it is not the killer pandemic they have been worrying about for years. They are more anxious about a little-noticed case that emerged last week in Hong Kong, where a 5-year-old boy was infected with a bird flu virus, because that is the sort of event that could spark a long-feared global health emergency.

The child recovered, and so far no one else appears to have been infected. But experts say they are monitoring the situation closely because whenever a new animal flu virus infects a person it has the potential to create an entirely new virus against which humans would be defenseless.

"Every transmission of an avian influenza virus to humans raises the possibility for a pandemic. So we immediately have a red alert," said Klaus Stohr, a top flu specialist at the World Health Organization in Geneva. "The concern is that a new virus with high transmissibility and high pathogenicity could emerge."

The Hong Kong boy's family is in isolation, and officials are anxiously awaiting the results of tests on them and other children who attend the same kindergarten for signs that the virus had spread or mutated. Three family members had a mild cough.

As soon as WHO officials learned of the case, the agency issued a global alert for scientists to be on the lookout for any flu cases caused by viruses that could not be identified, and they rushed samples of the Hong Kong virus to laboratories around the world to begin deciphering its genetic code and developing tests that could identify it quickly if it were to spread.

"We have to treat it seriously," Stohr said. "Fortunately, so far it looks like an isolated case with no human-to-human transmission. But we are concerned."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A62620-2003Dec13?language=printer

[kdono]

This is a little too close to our military in South Korea for comfort if it gets bad.

The military played a major role in the 1918 pandemic (and the flu may have played a role in ending WWI).

[kdono]

PAST POST: 1918
Rise in Flu Cases, Deaths Alarm District



Sunday, December 14, 2003; Page C02



Spreading in the District at an alarming rate, Spanish influenza increased more rapidly yesterday than since the disease became epidemic. Thirty-seven deaths were reported to the health department for the 24-hour period up until last midnight. More than 1,300 new cases were reported under treatment.

With this record number of deaths came announcements that the George Washington and Georgetown universities had closed classes. With fair weather promised for today, all church services will be held outdoors in compliance with the commissioners' orders.

Late reports were that many employees of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company were suffering with the disease. The city post office faces a serious shortage of manpower in face of heavy mails. . . . High school boys, idle since the schools were closed, are urged to apply for work at the post office, until the schools reopen.

-- Oct. 6, 1918

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A62649-2003Dec13?language=printer

[txhurl]

Thank you. Stands to reason that any fatal bug transmissible to humans is also transmissible back to birds, the canaries in the coalmines.

Also raises some interesting evolutionary questions, but we'll leave that alone.. :)

[Free Trapper]

Yes,to the best of my knowledge,that flu was traced to Fort Riley,Kansas,as a starting point.

A killer flu in Korea could be very bad for the people of N.Korea.Many are already malnourished,if not outright starving and would have little chance against a bad bug.

[kdono]

The real deal on the flu vaccine:

MEETING ON INFLUENZA VIRUS VACCINE
FORMULATION FOR 2003-2004

+ + + + +

TUESDAY,

MARCH 18, 2003

+ + + + +

The meeting was held in Conference Room A on the 11th Floor, 5515 Security Lane, at 10:30 a.m., Dr. David Stephens, Committee Chair, presiding.

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/03/transcripts/3941t1.doc

[Free Trapper]

If this bug happens to turn bad and "is" very infectious,do you have any idea how long it could take to hit the U.S.?

[DJtex]

Thanks so much for posting this transcript. FDA knew in March that the Fujian strain was going to be the problem in the winter, but they were having problems isolating it and getting it to grow in eggs. So they all "reluctantly" voted to keep using the 5-year-old Panama Flu Strain--which has a 50-50 record about helping against Fujian Flu.

I can't say that I disagree with the difficult choice they had to make, but we certainly need to be ready next year with Fujian strain. Flu went through our entire family early this year. First, our nine-month old granddaugher, then her 2 year old sister, then me, then their mom, and their dad. I'd had a flu shot six weeks ago, and only had a mild bout of flu. Everyone recovered, although the mom lost her job over this, and dad is still not back at work.

[kdono]

do you have any idea how long it could take to hit the U.S.?

The Korean virus has not been shown to infect humans yet. The Hong Kong virus has infected at least one person and contacts are being monitored.

Like SARS, infectious agents in people are just one airline flight away.

[kdono]

voted to keep using the 5-year-old Panama Flu Strain--which has a 50-50 record about helping against Fujian Flu.

Unfortunately, Panama is nowhere near 50/50 against Fujian. At their earlier meeting they were shown ferret data which showed that ferrets immunized with Panama had titers of 640 to 1280 against Panama, but only 80 against Fujian (and the Panama vaccine doesn't even work that well against Panama - in spite of being used worldwide for the past 4 years, 1/4 of the US cases are still Panama).

Their choices were not ideal, but there was only one correct vote, which was to passage the virus once in MDCK cells and then grow it in eggs. MDCK cells were already in registration for vaccine production so pathogen free cell lines existed.

Making Fujian THIS year was very doable.