Avian Flu Surveillance Project

Various ^ | May 9, 2005 | Vanity

[Dog Gone]

Some folks suggested that we begin a thread similar to the Marsburg Surveillance Project for monitoring developments regarding Avian Flu.

The purpose is to have an extended thread where those interested can post articles and comments as this story unfolds.

If we're lucky, the story and this thread will fade away.

[Gritty]

Sorry, I forgot to add the link:

H5N1 Bird Flu Migrates West Toward Europe.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for posting that. I'm thinking that the US will get migratory birds from the north over the Bering Strait into Alaska, and down to the lower 48.

Not to mention Avian flu transmitted by asymptomatic exposed travellers...

[Gritty]

Here is an outline of the Omsk Region. Novosibirsk is just east of this outlined area. Note this area is north of Kazakhstan, and well north and west of China. Qinghai Lake (China) is directly south of Lake Baikal and South of Mongolia, so one can see it is a long way off...

Omsk Region...

Qinghai Lake...

[Gritty]

Let me try another Russia Region map.

Omsk is #37, just north of the "N" on Kazakhstan, roughly 2300 miles West NorthWest from Qinghai Lake.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for those maps. The migratory birds sure fly huge distances...

[Oorang]

Excellent blog Mr. Atos; thanks for the link.

[EBH]

Daily Bird Flu News Updates:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/LatestNews/?AREA=LatestNews&Display=6187

BIRD FLU LATEST: Russia bird flu could spread to EU - vet official; Vietnam starts mass vaccination

Reuters - 1st August 2005
Russia bird flu could spread to EU - vet official
RUSSIA - A strain of bird flu dangerous to humans that has been found in Siberia could spread to parts of the European Union, a senior Russian veterinary official warned on Monday. The official from the Russian Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service told Reuters that the chances were "very high" that the strain found in the Novosibirsk region could spread to other parts of Siberia.

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BBC - 1st August 2005
Russia plans bird flu slaughter
RUSSIA - The Russian authorities plan to begin slaughtering poultry on Tuesday in 18 Siberian villages where bird flu has been detected. The strain found in the Novosibirsk region has been identified as H5N1 - the type that has killed at least 57 people in South-East Asia since 2003.

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recombinomics.com - 1st August 2005
The Export of a H5N1 Bird Flu Pandemic By China
CHINA - Dick Thompson, a spokesman for the World Health Organization in Geneva, said, "We would hope that these samples would be sent to a WHO international reference lab outside the country. This is standard for verification. To confirm that it is H5N1, it is important that these tests are done outside the country,"

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BBC - 1st August 2005
UK firm's bird flu vaccine hope
UK - A British firm has developed a bird flu vaccine which could be easily mass produced, officials say. PowerMed's vaccine is further away from the market than others, but as it is a DNA-based, it may be easier to produce than traditional egg-grown flu shots. The firm said 1.2kg of the vaccine, which is expected to enter clinical trials next year, would be enough to vaccinate the US population twice over. More than 50 people have died from bird flu in south east Asia.

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news24.com - 1st August 2005
Vietnam starts mass vaccination
VIETNAM - Vietnamese authorities are vaccinating three million birds in a southern province, officials said on Monday, as nationwide efforts got underway to contain bird flu, which has killed 41 people in the country. The trial vaccination started on Saturday in Tien Giang province, in the heart of the fertile Mekong Delta where large-scale poultry farming abounds.

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Reuters - 1st August 2005
Netherlands sees no threat from Russian bird flu
THE NETHERLANDS - The Dutch farm ministry played down fears on Monday that a strain of bird flu found in Russia could spread to the Netherlands, saying no extra protection measures were needed. The Russian Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service warned earlier on Monday that the strain dangerous to humans could spread to parts of the European Union, including the Netherlands and France.

[xVIer]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/T346458.htm
01 Aug 2005 06:44:22 GMT
HK orders clean up as swine flu spreads in China
By Tan Ee Lyn

HONG KONG, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Alarmed by an outbreak of swine flu in mainland China that has killed 34 people, Hong Kong's government set up tough new measures on Monday to try to protect the southern territory from the disease.

Over 180 people have been infected with Streptococcus suis, a form of swine flu, in China's southwestern Sichuan province since June.

The Hong Kong government ordered pig farms in the city to strictly observe hygiene standards and to dispose of pig carcasses properly in designated areas. Those caught flouting the rules would be fined HK$25,000 (US$3,200) and jailed for up to six months.

"They have to disinfect the carcasses and wrap them properly using double-layer plastic bags," said a government spokeswoman.

Officials were also discussing whether to classify swine flu a "notifiable infectious disease", which would require all local doctors to report such cases to the government.

While China has suspended exports of Sichuan pork to Hong Kong, the outbreak has unnerved the territory after authorities said last week that two local men had contracted the bacterial infection.

Neither man had travelled outside of Hong Kong immediately prior to their falling ill and health authorities are still investigating how they contracted the disease. One has been discharged and the other is still in hospital.

"One of them is a renovation worker, who would probably have minor cuts on his hands, the other goes to the market and cooks regularly, so he might have had contact with raw, infected pork," said a government spokesman.

Though endemic in swine, human infections of Streptococcus suis are rare.

The bacteria finds its way into humans via open wounds and minor cracks under fingernails. But it is susceptible to heat of over 100 C (212 F), and thoroughly cooked pork is safe to eat.

Chinese authorities say all those taken ill in Sichuan had slaughtered, handled or ate infected pigs, and stressed that there had not been any human-to-human transmission of the bacteria.

However, China's death toll of some 20 percent so far is particularly worrying as previous mortality rates are not known to have gone over 10 percent.

Many who died in Sichuan died within 24 hours of showing symptoms and many bled under their skin, signs which were not typical of Streptococcus suis infections.

"The situation is extraordinary. The pattern hasn't followed previous outbreaks, there are many human infections and deaths," said infectious disease expert Lo Wing-lok.

"Could there be other factors involved? Has the organism changed? Has it mutated to become more contagious and virulent? Is there co-infection of any other virus or bacteria? These are the questions on our minds."

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QUOTE"Over 180 people have been infected with Streptococcus suis, a form of swine flu, in China's southwestern Sichuan province since June."

When did S.Suis become a form of swine flu? I am going to post any news relating to this on this thread, b/c going between 2 threads is going to hamper the flow of info...I think we should keep marburg thread limited to Angola/marburg. Do you agree? Goodnight all...sweet dreams;-)

[Judith Anne]

Over 180 people have been infected with Streptococcus suis, a form of swine flu, in China's southwestern Sichuan province since June.

I noticed the same thing you did. This is NOT swine flu, and I wish reporters would get that phrase out of their little freakin minds.

And thanks for making that distinction, and posting the "swine flu" stuff on this thread.

Frankly, I think it's Avian Flu, period.

Good night, all. God bless us, each and every one.

[xVIer]

http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/english/2005/08/200508020220.shtml

Aug. 02, 2005
By August 1st, the official death toll has increased to 36, according to XinHua News. It says 30 in serious situation, 18 cured, there are 198 infected. The short message is the only official news relevant to the exploding mysterious disease in Sichuan.

The disease has spread to nine cities in Sichuan. A few days ago, Mr. Gao Qiang, Minister of Public Health, said to journalists "I guaranttee that the disease in under control if you trust my personality". Mr. Gao used simliar words during SARS, he said "I can responsibly say the disease is under control". Mr. Gao was vice-minister of Public Health in 2003.

The official date of first case of Sichuan disease ( "Streptococcosis Suis" ) is June 24, the government has been criticized for delaying release the information to public by a month. The Sichuan government fired a few directors of ZiYang Hospital where the disease was first found, blaming them did not report to upper level government until July 11. The governemnt did not explain why it continued to delay releasing the information to public until July 25. (boxun.com)

The tight restriction to journalists and the few words of news release on the incident may explain why it is hard for the world to trust the official numbers.

At the same time, WHO said that Sichuan disease may not be "single type of bacteria", it may be another type of virus or bacteria, it may also related to a number of factors such as pollution.

From begining, some people in China blame the disease to food to feed pigs. The feed used is strange, it will make pig fully grown in three months, normally it takes 9-10 months to fully grow. Pollution is also frequently mentioned as the source of the disease among public, the river and underground water is polluted very badly, the river kills almost all lives in the water. If any of above is the source, it will be very sensitive: 1) Pig feed is the interest of business people who are backed up by officials; 2) Pollution is a taboo too as it may frighten investors away, or the factories may face to be closed. (boxun.com)

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Hi Redgolum...I need help here...considering your background, what do you make of this?
QUOTE:"From begining, some people in China blame the disease to food to feed pigs. The feed used is strange, it will make pig fully grown in three months, normally it takes 9-10 months to fully grow."

Okay I mean it this time...goodnight...really!!! I can stop whenever I want...I'm not ADDICTED to FReeping! ( Hello, my name is Mrs. X and I am a freeper addict! )

[Oorang]

Informative page, with maps, of bird migratory flyways:

http://www.birdnature.com/flyways.html

[geopyg]

I think the transiberian railway runs through that little region of Russia.

[xVIer]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK69061.htm
02 Aug 2005 05:12:31 GMT
China farmers ignore swine flu hygiene orders

BEIJING, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Many frugal farmers in southwest China are refusing to bury infected pigs safely, Chinese media said on Tuesday, raising fears that a deadly swine flu could spread further after infecting almost 200 people and killing 36.

Draconian measures were in place around the Chinese capital to prevent infection. The Beijing News said city authorities had blocked inward shipments of about 4,000 tonnes of pork and pork products from stricken Sichuan province up to July 31.

Many impoverished Sichuan farmers, having already bought piglets, inoculation and feed, are refusing to spend more on burying sick pigs with disinfectant. Instead, they slaughter them and eat the meat themselves.

"Households are not following guidelines in dealing with sick and dead pigs to prevent possible harm," the Beijing News said.

Asked whether her family had followed government orders to dispose of their sick pigs, the wife of farmer Liu Yanxue in Sichuan's hard-hit Zizhong county reportedly told state television: "At any rate, we didn't eat them".

Zizhong health worker Wen Youhai had admitted to simply taking farmers' word that they had properly handled sick pigs rathe than observing burials in person, the daily said.

The Health Ministry Web site, in its latest bulletin, said two deaths and 17 infections with pig-borne bacteria Streptococcus suis had been reported between Sunday and midday Monday in Sichuan.

Health officials insist the outbreak is under control and that the latest victims represented previously undiagnosed cases, not new cases which would indicate the disease was spreading.

A total of 198 people in 108 villages and townships in Sichuan had contracted the disease, apparently from slaughtering, handling or eating infected pigs, the ministry said.

The official China Youth Daily published a picture of a stall owner in Ziyang city, where the disease was first reported in June, selling pork at a traditional market. The headline read: "Ziyang residents dare to sell pork again."

BIG PROFIT

In one unconfirmed report, the Chongqing Evening News said last week an unscrupulous meat dealer had dug up sick and dead pigs he was forced by police to bury a day earlier and sold the meat in a nearby town for a big profit.

Sichuan has launched a campaign to educate illiterate farmers and their children not to slaughter or eat sick pigs.

The government has also vowed to punish officials caught covering up or delaying reports on infections. Two officials and one health inspector have already been sacked for negligence.

While most of the infections have been found in Sichuan, cases have also been reported in Guangdong province and neighbouring Hong Kong.

Shipments of pork from Sichuan, China's top producer, to Hong Kong have been stopped and the city has stepped up inspections and quarantine procedures on all live pigs and frozen pork imported from the mainland.

Hong Kong health experts have confirmed the bacteria as Streptococcus suis and found no evidence of any mutation, the South China Morning Post said.

In addition to Beijing, other Chinese cities have also set up tight perimeter checks to block pork from Sichuan.

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eeeek !

[xVIer]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HKG69696.htm
02 Aug 2005 03:14:01 GMT
HK experts see no mutation in swine flu

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Now, it seems everybody is calling s.suis swine flu!

[xVIer]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK41663.htm
PEOPLE'S DAILY

- The Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine has developed a testing method to identify of streptococcus suis in pigs in four hours. The deadly swine flu has killed 36 people and infected 198.

[EBH]

Daily Bird Flu News Updates:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/LatestNews/?AREA=LatestNews&Display=6187

Xinhuanet - 2nd August 2005
Experts warn of spread of bird flu in Russia
RUSSIA - Russian veterinary service officials on Monday issued a warning on further spread of the avian flu to more regions after the virus killed more than 2,000 domestic fowl in Novosibirsk and new infections were discovered in the neighboring Altai region.

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Recombinomics - 2nd August 2005
Unverified Reports of Bird Flu Villages Being Razed
A recent translation of a boxun report suggest that three villages were razed in response to unrest linked to a forced bird flu quarantine in Yushu in northwestern Qinghai in China. China has imposed news blackouts and arrested reporters in the past, so verifiable news from the area is difficult to obtain. News outside of China however, points toward a virulent strain of H5N1 linked to Qinghai Lake has killed ducks and geese in several areas of southern Siberia in Russia as well as the adjacent region in Kazakhstan.

[EBH]

Daily Bird Flu News Updates:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/LatestNews/?AREA=LatestNews&Display=6187

Xinhuanet - 2nd August 2005
Experts warn of spread of bird flu in Russia
RUSSIA - Russian veterinary service officials on Monday issued a warning on further spread of the avian flu to more regions after the virus killed more than 2,000 domestic fowl in Novosibirsk and new infections were discovered in the neighboring Altai region.

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Recombinomics - 2nd August 2005
Unverified Reports of Bird Flu Villages Being Razed
A recent translation of a boxun report suggest that three villages were razed in response to unrest linked to a forced bird flu quarantine in Yushu in northwestern Qinghai in China. China has imposed news blackouts and arrested reporters in the past, so verifiable news from the area is difficult to obtain. News outside of China however, points toward a virulent strain of H5N1 linked to Qinghai Lake has killed ducks and geese in several areas of southern Siberia in Russia as well as the adjacent region in Kazakhstan.

[EBH]

‘Pig disease’ may be spreading between humans
http://www.thepigsite.com/LatestNews/Default.asp?AREA=LatestNews&Display=9816

CHINA - Vaccines to combat a deadly pig-borne disease were flown to south-western China on Sunday, where the spread of the rare illness has already killed 36 people and infected 198.

The unusually high numbers of people infected by the swine disease has led scientists to speculate that it may be being spread from human-to-human - or that another disease entirely is to blame.

Streptococcus suis type II, although relatively common in swine, spreads to humans extremely rarely, and the size and virulence of this current outbreak, in the province of Sichuan, has taken the World Health Organization by surprise.

The Chinese government responded on Sunday by airlifting the first batch of a vaccine for the infection – enough to treat 360,000 pigs – from the southern city of Guangzhou to the affected towns. The vaccine’s manufacturers say they will be producing enough vaccine to treat 10 million pigs in the coming days – but vaccines take three weeks to produce immunity in the pigs.

Source: newscientist.com

Follow link to read entire article. Thx.

[EBH]

OK. I am putting this up and hoping the resourceful people here can maybe help track down the original articles. These seem to be talking about SIV outbreaks here in the US and the rapidity of it's ability to mutate. The links at the site these were scavenged from do not go back to actual articles any longer. But perhaps out there in the vast universe of the WEB, someone still has a copy posted. The last one is what I am most curious about. Thx. http://www.thepigsite.com/search/search.asp?q=pig+flu&se=6

Swine Flu Changes Accelerate
Swine Flu Changes Accelerate US - Ever since the H3N2 subtype of swine influenza virus (SIV) was identified in U.S. swine herds in 1999, the virus has continued to change, much like it has previously done in the human population. To continue reading this article ...
Section: News, Thursday, January 16, 2003

Swine Flu Breaks Costly in 2002
Swine Flu Breaks Costly in 2002 US - Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC), of which swine influenza virus (SIV) is an integral part, has been very costly to U.S. hog producers, especially this past year. To continue reading this article please Click Her...
Section: News, Thursday, January 16, 2003

Swine flu increasing threat to humans
Swine flu increasing threat to humans WASHINGTON - Changes in swine production methods may accelerate the evolution of new variants of the swine influenza virus, according to a report in Science magazine. To continue reading this article please Click Here...
Section: News, Thursday, March 20, 2003

[EBH]

Pigs drawn into poultry flu crisis
Pigs drawn into poultry flu crisis AMSTERDAM — The avian flu ravaging the Dutch poultry industry has been passed on to pigs, giving rise to fears it could merge with the human flu virus pigs already carry to create a new deadly pathogen, Agriculture Minister ...
Section: News, Thursday, April 17, 2003

WHO urges China to conduct more studies into bird flu in pigs
WHO urges China to conduct more studies into bird flu in pigs BEIJING - The World Health Organization (WHO) urged China to carry out more studies into the presence of a deadly strain of bird flu virus in pigs. The WHO s appeal, published in a statement Thursday, ...
Section: News, Thursday, August 26, 2004


Are pigs carrying flu superbug?
Are pigs carrying flu superbug? The Avian flu that has claimed 22 lives in the Far East has now been found in pigs. Because the animals are vulnerable to both bird and human flu, scientists fear the virus could mutate inside them into a superstrain like the one ...
Section: News, Friday, February 20, 2004