Bird flu 'causes first dog death'

BBC ^ | 3-15-06

[Mother Abigail]

Bird flu 'causes first dog death'

Bird flu cases have been discovered along the Caspian Sea coast

A stray dog has died of bird flu in the Caspian nation of Azerbaijan, health officials have said - thought to be the first time the virus has killed a dog.

Azerbaijan reported its first three human deaths from bird flu on Monday.

The World Health Organization has yet to confirm bird flu caused the human deaths, but said the US Navy lab that carried out the tests was reliable. The deaths of the three young Azeri women would take the WHO total for human deaths from bird flu to 101.

There have been no confirmed cases of one person passing the virus to another. Most people who have contracted it are thought to have been in close contact with domestic poultry.

But scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form that can pass from person to person.

Germany has reported at least three cat deaths from bird flu, which has been spreading from South-East Asia since 2003.

Quarantine

The deadly H5N1 strain of the virus was discovered in migratory bird flocks in Azerbaijan last month.

The government has taken measures to quarantine the two regions where the women died, with entry and exit to their villages being controlled.

Cars were being disinfected and domestic poultry was being confined, Reuters news agency reported.

The dog that died was found in the capital Baku on 9 March, health officials said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4811284.stm  

[raygun]

Whelp, its like this: I sent this out on an eMail 10 Jun 05.

According to reports filed by Chinese authorities with the OIE (an intergovernmental organization created by the International Agreement of 25 January 1924, signed by 28 countries. As of May 2004, the OIE totaled 167 Member Countries) - http://www.oie.int/eng/en_index.htm - the following animal deaths were reported as being linked to H5N1 influenza virus in and around the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in Gangcha County (China):

Apr 15 estimated date of initial onset of epizootic
 
May  4 dead spot headed geese       150
May  7 dead spot headed geese       178
May 21 dead spot headed geese      519
May 27 dead spot headed geese  >1000

 

June 2 report of animal deaths:

 

spot headed geese                          5412
brown headed gulls                           641
cormorants                                     1151
fishing gulls                                     1064
red beaked diving ducks                   121
red feet ducks                                    34
ring neck birds                                   23
swallow gulls                                     12
white-headed crane                             6
Phoenix headed bird                          11
black neck crane                                 2
raincoat feather crane                          1
wolf                                                    3
fox                                                      2
badger dog                                         6
desert (wild) ca                                 11
domestic cattle                                153
domestic sheep                                 84
domestic chicken                            413
domestic dog                                    68

 

Detailed photos of the area - http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2005/06/200506032331.shtml - suggest that the above numbers are low by at least one order of magnitude. Photos show that as far as they can see literally thousands of (if not 10's of) birds, no more than 5 are standing (if that). Most that are not standing appear to be either already dead or very near death. There are no birds in the air. In longer distance shots there appear to be thousands of birds on the ground and none in the air. All photos are from China's official news outlet..