Posted on 01/24/2008 9:22:31 PM PST by Smokin' Joe
Interesting turn of events and thanks for the ping Joe.
I read recently that a mutation occurred in one strain that facilitates the infection process in mammals, although it did not have to do directly with the tissue temperature, but danged if I can remember it. Will try to find reference.
Interesting, in a blog that LucyT sent me, a person (vet?) considers goats to be down the list of animals susceptible to influenza and other respiratory infections, behind pigs, sheep, and horses. And the same writer was shocked that so many camels had died in the Mideast from some strain of influenza since ordinarily ruminants are not considered susceptible at all. Very concerned about influenza showing up in other wild ruminants. He also repeats the assertion that pigs caught Spanish flu from humans in 1918 and not the other way ‘round.
NEW DELHI: Howrah and Purulia were the latest to join the list of districts in West Bengal infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. On Friday, the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, confirmed that samples from the Sankrail block of Howrah district and Santuri block of Purulia district tested positive for avian influenza.
Now, only eight smaller districts in the state, remain unaffected. Howrah is on the outskirts of Kolkata and other districts infected include Bankura, Burdwan, Cooch Behar, Hooghly, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, South Dinajpur and Birbhum. The Bhopal lab confirmed that the virus had spread to fresh blocks — Mayureswar II and Khoyrasole in Birbhum and Kandi of Murshidabad districts. "Elev-en of the 19 districts in West Bengal are now infected. The virus is moving at a tremendous pace. The latest results confirm our fears that the state is failing in its efforts to effectively seal trading of infected poultry," an animal husbandry official told TOI.
He added: "State animal husbandry officials have admitted that there was movement of infected poultry during the initial days of the outbreak. The situation is now very grave. We are keeping our fingers crossed. I won't be surprised if the infection is found in the heart of Kolkata."
Excerpted
Bangladesh bird flu worsening
January 25, 2008
BANGLADESH needs house-to-house surveillance to fight bird flu because the situation has worsened and is "posing a danger to public health", the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said today.
The news from the UN's FAO came as neighbouring India battled its worst outbreak of bird flu - believed to have spread from Bangladesh, which has been reporting sporadic outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain since February 2007.
Excerpted
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23106207-401,00.html
Thanks for the ping, Oorang. I’m following this on the flu forums, too.
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