Bird Flu Epidemic Rumbles On Around The World

New Scientist ^ | 1-11-2007 | Debora MacKenzie

[blam]

Bird flu epidemic rumbles on around the world

12:31 11 January 2007
NewScientist.com news service
Debora MacKenzie

The H5N1 bird flu virus shows no signs of going away in 2007, with outbreaks in poultry and people flaring up across its heartland in east Asia and, most worryingly, in Africa. Other countries the virus reached in winter 2006, including Europe, are watching nervously for its return. And hitherto unaffected areas are anxiously testing mysterious bird deaths to see if they will be next.

The biggest flare-up so far has been in Vietnam, where an outbreak in poultry that started in early December 2006 in the Mekong Delta had spread to four provinces in that region by this week. No human cases have been reported yet in the country.

The virus is apparently persisting in poultry throughout the country despite widespread vaccination. The last major poultry outbreak was seemingly controlled after reaching five provinces across Vietnam in January 2006. But in August 2006 the virus was detected in healthy, unvaccinated ducks during routine monitoring in the Mekong Delta, and caused an outbreak in ducks in Hanoi.

Indonesia has the worst ongoing H5N1 problem, with 14 of 30 administrative regions of the huge country affected, including the crowded capital, Jakarta. Two people have been confirmed with the illness in January so far, including a 14-year-old boy in Jakarta who died on Wednesday, and a 37-year-old woman who remains in critical condition in western Java.

Masked spread

China too reported a human case this week, of a 37-year-old man in Anhui province who got sick but recovered in December 2006. Worryingly, there have been no reports of sick poultry in the man’s neighbourhood, and no reports of H5N1 in poultry in Anhui since 2005.

[blam]

BF Ping.

[Gabz]

Worryingly, there have been no reports of sick poultry in the man’s neighbourhood, and no reports of H5N1 in poultry in Anhui since 2005.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Smokin' Joe]

ping......(thanks, blam!)

[StACase]

Since 2004 there have been at any given time an average of a little more than 3 cases of active bird flu in the world.

[blam]

"Since 2004 there have been at any given time an average of a little more than 3 cases of active bird flu in the world."

Yes. More than three in one family. (A few times)

[StACase]

Thanks for the reply, you can track the "Progress" of Bird Flu with data from the WHO website:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/en/

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for the ping, Joe. Somehow, even though a Chinese woman is the new WHO director and has promised transparency, I still wonder....

[Cold Heart]

The masking and spread of the disease by vaccinated birds is certainly not good.

[Cold Heat]

I think it is here already, but they have yet to announce it.

It was in the migratory pattern last year and should have made it here by this winter migration.

I guess we shall see how the price of chicken responds.

Cluck, cluck!