Obviously, the Chinese government is keeping a close watch on this case and ordered the army to monitor all who have come in contact with the soldier, who is serving in the Fujian province. According to a statement from the World Health Organization, there is no initial indication to suggest he had contact with sick birds prior to becoming unwell.

[source: physorg.com; WHO]

Tags: China, bird flu, human case

Post from: Blisstree

Chinese soldier infected with bird flu

Over 1,600 ducks have died from H5N1 in the southern Thap Muoi district and another site in a northern Quang Ninh Province. So far this month, bird flu was confirmed in 15 communies in 6 provinces across the asian nation. The VietnamNet reports that no pattern can be found in this latest string of outbreaks.

Normally this disease appears in the cold and wet weather but this year it occurs in the hot weather, which stirs worries of the change of the H5N1 virus in Vietnam.

Tags: bird flu, outbreaks, Vietnam

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Bird flu confirmed again in Vietnam

The rest of the 6,000 birds on the affected farms have been culled but there are no reports of human infection.

This year alone, there have been 23 H5N1 outbreaks in Pakistan but authorities are quick to say these have been rapidly controlled. In a rare case, an Islamabad zoo was affected last February when the virus was found in peacocks and geese.

[source: MedIndia]

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Bird flu outbreaks in 3 Pakistan farms

Based on reports and observations, the H5N1 strain of bird flu is infecting fewer wild and migratory birds in 2007, the OIE said that the strain might be dying out in the wild, but not in domestic birds.

Poultry flocks are still infected in most countries. Bird flu also continues to be endemic in certain countries and still keep appearing in previously unaffected places, so prevention and control are still top priority.

[source: Alertnews]

Tags: H5N1, bird flu, influenza

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H5N1 infecting fewer wil birds, OIE reports

The asian country plagued by bird flu needs a total of US$45 million to manufacture the vaccine in its own pharmaceutical factory and the $2 million seed money will be used for a pilot plant that can produce about 10,000 doses for human use.

Thailand has become the sixth country to receive such a financial incentive from WHO,
which earlier made such agreements with Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.

[source:ETNA]

Tags: bird flu, influenza, vaccine

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Thailand gets WHO money for bird flu vaccine production

Egyptian toddler tests positive for H5N1. A two-year old Egyptian girl tested positive for the bird flu virus, bringing the total human victims in Egypt to 33. [Reuters AlertNews]

Cambodian girl dies of bird flu. A 13-year old girl from Ponhea Kreak died on bird flu Thursday, only three days after getting ill from the virus. [People's Daily Online]

Indonesian girl dies of bird flu . A 15-year old girl from Jakarta died of bird flu, bringing the total human fatality to 73. [Reuters AlertNews]

Turkey declares country as bird-flu free. After seeing no bird flu incidence in more than a year, Turkey lifted off all quarantine and declared itself free of the disease. [AFP News]

Global vaccine reserve set up for developing countries. The World Health Organization will begin stockpiling a global vaccine reserve for developing countries. This developed in response to Indonesia’s calls for a fair distribution of the vaccine among all nations. [Andhracafe.com]

Tags: bird flu, influenza, Indonesia, Turkey, WHO, Cambodia

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Newsbriefs on bird flu – Friday April 6

A 22-year old woman died Saturday, followed by a 15-year old boy on Sunday, and a 39-year old man on Wednesday.

This news followed the announcement made yesterday by Indonesian health minister Siti Fadilah Supari that sharing bird flu samples with WHO will resume immediately after a three-month standoff.

[Souce: Bangkok Post]

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Three Indonesians die of bird flu

- Indonesian health minister, Siti Fadillah Supari.

Not THAT is true. Indonesia definitely has the most virus and patients anywhere. The country has never been completely successful in stopping the spread of the bird flu virus, and continues to produce one outbreak after another and cases to this day. But what used to be Indonesia’s shame is now her leverage.

The country continues to refuse to share its bird flu vaccines with the World Health Organization, causing enough outrage to push the global body to call for a three-day vaccine conference.

Indonesia announced last February that it will no longer share its samples unless their country is guaranteed affordable access to vaccines, and for WHO to stop sharing them with commercial vaccine makers. It also wants asistance for poor nations in developing “domestic vaccine production”.

This move has gained support from other poor countries but criticism from the scientific community who fear of an H5N1 that might mutate into a dangerous virus.

“We must work together to change the perverse incentives that have resulted in developing countries being disadvantaged,” the Indonesian health minister, Siti Fadillah Supari, said today in her opening remarks.

Dr. David Heymann, WHO’s top flu official, said one short-term solution might be “stockpiles of pandemic vaccine in which industry would set aside a percentage of pandemic vaccine for developing country needs, with a guarantee of purchase from WHO.”

In response, Dr. Supari insisted on developing a locally placed collaborating center and vaccine factory “so there will be no need for the virus to be sent outside the country,” she said. “Why not? We have the most virus and patients.”

What do you think?

Should there be free-sharing of bird flu samples or was Indonesia right in calling for guarantees?

How should the WHO respond?

sources: nytimes; mlive

Tags: bird flu, virus, H5N1, Indonesia, World Health Organization, who, samples

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Indonesia (still) refuses to share bird flu samples

The highly pathogenic Asian-type bird flu virus has killed at least 333 domestic birds since February 9. More birds are being slaughtered and villages have been quarantined in a desperate effort to stop the outbreaks.

Fortunately for veterinary officials, all the first five outbreaks could be traced to one location – the Sadovod market, commonly known as “”Ptichka” (”Birdie”), Moscow’s best known pet market. This makes it so much easier for health officials to trace the movement of possibly infected birds, quarantine infected areas and determine possible human cases. So far, no humans have reported any flu-like symptoms.

Sources:

Russia confirms bird flu outbreak

Official: Avian flu confirmed in Moscow

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Bird flu breaks out in 8 Moscow districts

Four more villages, the village of Akcay and three nearby hamlets in Silvan town, were placed under quarantine after chickens died in these areas.

Three people and four children who reported flu-like symptoms were cleared Tuesday of having cotracted the virus. No human cases have yet been reported since the outbreak.

Let’s hope it keeps that way. Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance.

Sources:

More fowl test positive to bird-flu virus in south-eastern Turkey New bird flu case reported in Turkish village
Four more villages in southeastern Turkey quarantined over bird flu fear

Tags: flu, bird flu, Turkey, outbreaks, H5N1

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Turkey confirms new cases of bird flu