Penumbra Pandemia

The Effect Measure blog
May 27, 2007 3:24 PM
"--- The index cases in the Welsh poultry were bought from a market in Cheshire and it now appears more than one farm bought birds there on that day. So we can expect to hear more about H7N2, which can be significantly pathogenic in chickens and spread rapidly (see Lu et al., Avian Dis. 2004 Jan-Mar;48(1):26-33).
In Wales there are indications it has moved to humans readily and human to human transmission may be occurring. The reflex labeling of H7N2 as a Low Pathogenic virus that transmits to humans with difficulty is no longer accurate. Whether this is a mutated H7N2 we don't know as yet, and the clinical illness in humans is so far described as mild.
Still, this is another indication that what we think we know about the veterinary and public health consequences of avian influenza are provisional, at best. We should be cautious about our warnings, so as not to induce undue anxiety. But we should also be circumspect and cautious about our reassurances, the more so as reassurance is a short term expedient but may in the long term be costly in lost credibility."

"Bird flu warning for two hospitals
Last updated at 23:50pm on 29th May 2007
The Daily Mail
Patients and staff at two hospitals in North Wales are being offered anti-viral drugs after coming into contact with people who may be ill with [H7N2] bird flu.
---
At Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital, Bodelwyddan, near Rhyl, 79 patients and staff spent some time with a healthcare worker who is suspected to be ill with an H7 strain of the virus.
---
At Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, Bangor, 69 patients and staff associated with an A & E unit are being called because they may have been in contact with a patient carrying the virus.
The development came as health chiefs were trying to stamp out the spread of a virus which has been traced to chickens on a small farm near Corwen, North Wales.
Previously, some 12 children aged nine and ten and two teachers at a school in the area [were having H7N2 symptoms] have been treated with Tamiflu.
The 14 had been in contact with a nine-year-old girl who is thought to have fallen ill with the virus after visiting the farm at the centre of the alert. "
*****
So, these 60 patients and HCW's treated for H7N2 on the outskirts of Manchester and Liverpool. Liverpool is UK's gateway to Irelend.

Mild bird flu in Britain has pandemic potential
LONDON (AP) via www.usatoday.com
29 May 2007
Last week, British authorities confirmed that four people apparently tested positive for H7N2, a mild strain of bird flu, after 15 chickens at a small farm in Wales died. Health officials are currently investigating 142 people who may also be infected, of whom 11 have symptoms of flu or conjunctivitis.
More test results are pending, and officials said the number of confirmed human cases could increase. Those who are thought to have had contact with H7N2 are being offered anti-virals by health authorities.
Having so many human cases at once is a potential concern. ---
'Here, we're talking about a small number of birds and yet we still have four cases,' [World Health Organization bird flu expert Dr. Michael] Perdue said. 'Unless there's something unusual about the contact with birds, that suggests the virus is finding new ways of getting into humans.'
The H7 subtype has previously sparked human outbreaks. In a large outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003, 89 human cases were reported, mostly of conjunctivitis, as well as one death. There were also at least three likely instances of human-to-human transmission involving family members of poultry workers. In the case of the single fatality, officials noticed that particular virus had about 10 mutations.
---
But low pathogenic viruses can quickly morph into highly pathogenic ones, sometimes within weeks. Too little is known about flu viruses to predict with any certainty which ones are most lethal for humans.
'The pandemic risk from low pathogenic avian viruses is almost as bad as that from highly pathogenic avian viruses,' said Dr. Angus Nicoll, an influenza expert at the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control.
'When people say low pathogenic or highly pathogenic, that only refers to how unpleasant the disease is for birds,' Nicoll explained. 'That's almost irrelevant for humans.'
Like all flu viruses, low pathogenic viruses mutate rapidly, and could theoretically transform into a pandemic strain without the warning signals of a more virulent strain, which would leave many dead chickens — and perhaps humans — in its wake. Experts also worry about the possibility of a bird flu virus mixing with a human flu virus to create a new pandemic strain.
'If you have an H7 virus causing mild symptoms, that might give the virus the chance to reassort into a more dangerous virus before anybody notices,' Perdue said. And for health officials hoping to quash a pandemic in its emerging stages, it might be too late to contain a global outbreak without an early warning.
Most experts believe that the preoccupation with H5N1 as the most likely pandemic candidate is justified.
'The situation with H5N1 is very intense,' said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States. 'We know that H7 can cause outbreaks in chickens and that it can occasionally jump the species barrier, but it has not done it nearly to the extent of the H5N1 virus.'
Unlike many other bird flu subtypes, which disappear off the radar after a short period, H5N1 has remained entrenched in the environment, and continues to spread to new areas.
Still, while no bird flu virus can be ruled out when it comes to igniting the next pandemic, some clues may exist. Though H5N1 has several worrying characteristics, other flu subtypes are also in the running for the pandemic title.
'The last two flu pandemics were the result of a human flu virus recombining with low pathogenic avian viruses,' said Perdue. The H7N2 recently detected in Britain would fall into that category. 'Given that historical context, perhaps we should concentrate our efforts a little more in that direction.'"

Kokkolasta löytyi lisää kuolleita lokkeja
Radio Keski-Pohjanmaa
26.04.2007
Kokkolan Vittsarista on löytynyt lisää kuolleita lokkeja. Lokit ovat löytyneet paikallisen turkistarhan läheisyydestä.
Jo aiemmin kaupunki on tehnyt rikosilmoituksen poliisille kahdeksasta kuolleesta lokista, jotka löydettiin Vessin pellolta myös läheltä turkistarhaa.
---
Kuolleet linnut ovat Elintarviketurvallisuusviraston tutkittavina. ---"
*****
More dead seagulls found in Kokkola region, Finland.

"STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS - CHINA (HONG KONG)(02)
Archive Number 20070527.1707
Published Date 27-MAY-2007
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Streptococcus suis - China (Hong Kong)(02)
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Sun 27 May 2007
Source: Reuters Alert Net [edited]
A part-time Hong Kong butcher has become the 3rd victim of the
pig-borne _Streptococcus suis_ in the territory in less than a month,
the South China Morning Post reported on Saturday [26 May 2007].
The article said the 54-year-old man developed fever, headache and neck pain nearly 2 weeks ago, but was admitted to hospital only on
Tuesday [22 May 2007] and was stable yesterday [25 May 2007]. It added that the victim helped sell pork at several markets.
All 3 cases in the territory were diagnosed within the past 8 days --- While the patient had spent a day in the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen early this month [May 2007], the trip 'may not be related' to the disease, the paper quoted an unnamed health official as saying.
---
Pork prices have soared in mainland China after an outbreak of blue ear disease, or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)
which surfaced a year ago. Experts and industry sources have said it wiped out as many as a million pigs."

"Efficient H7N2 Transmission To 11 Patients in Wales England
Recombinomics Commentary
May 27, 2007
--- Although the owners of the farm have tested negative, media reports indicate that earlier they had symptoms. Since their exposure may have been as early as May 7, when one of the 15 infected birds died, the owners may have cleared the H7N2 by the time they were tested, which would have been after May 17, when poultry samples were collected for testing.
It is likely that these collections led to the first four confirmed cases. Three of these four had contact with poultry. Two were from northwest England, and one was from Wales. The patient from Wales, or the owners of the farm, likely infected the fourth positive.
Humans were also likely responsible for the next seven positives, which are also in Wales. Thus, of the 11 confirmed cases, 8 were infected by people, not poultry.
These numbers demonstrate efficient human-to-human transmission, because only 26 people have been tested, and some, like the owners, may be false negatives because the PCR test was too late, while others may be false negatives because they were tested too early.
Similarly, people linked to the sellers of the poultry in Macclesfield have not been described, nor have results of the investigation of a second farm in Efailnewydd been released. Moreover, the distance of the two farms from each other, as well as the market in Macclesfield, suggest that additional farms spread over a relatively large region, may also have unreported human and poultry H7N2 infections.
H7 is efficiently transmitted human-to-human. The symptoms are typically mild and including flu-like symptoms and conjunctivitis. In the 2003 outbreak in the Netherlands, it is likely that over 1000 people were infected, based on H7 antibodies in cullers and contacts. In that outbreak there was one fatality.
Widespread infections of humans with H7 are cause for concern. H5N1 has been reported in Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and France last year (as well as many additional countries in western Europe).
H5N1 is likely to be circulating undetected in the region. H5N1 was reported in Moscow suburbs this year. ---"
*****
If the secind farm was initially negative in quick tests, the negative result would have been released by now.

"Bird Flu found 'near Macc'
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
27/ 5/2007
THE chickens at the centre of a bird flu outbreak in North Wales were bought at a market in Cheshire, it was confirmed today.
Four people have tested positive for the disease after the virus was found on a farm in Corwen, and five other people are being treated as having had the disease.
Thirty chickens on the smallholding have now been slaughtered after 15 birds died. They were 22-week-old Rhode Island Red chickens bought by the farm two weeks ago.
Dr Christianne Glossop, chief veterinary officer for Wales, said they had all come from Chelford Market, which she said was "one line of inquiry" being followed. ---"

Google Translation
"Commerce : meat and egg prices are expected to rise two main reasons for the upward trend stabilized in July if necessary, by using state reserves meat stabilize meat prices
Xinhuanet, Beijing, May 24 (Xinhua Physics) by livestock herds decline Culture cost factors, the mainland part of the pork, egg prices rising rapidly in recent momentum. However, the Commerce Department released the latest estimates show that in July of these areas of meat and egg prices upward trend will be stabilized.
Ministry of Commerce official said, at the beginning of the new Bulan will continue to slaughter pigs, laying hens will gradually enter the laying period, pork and egg market supply will gradually increase. Meanwhile, with the hot weather and aquatic products, birds and other alternatives to the market is adequately supplied, the residents of pork, egg consumption demand will slowly.
According to the Commerce Secretary to monitor the operation of the market, five months early. Mainland 36 large and medium-sized cities in the average wholesale price of pork at 14.5 yuan / kg, compared with 8.6% rise in April over the same period last year rose 43.1%, the average per kg rise 4.4 yuan. Five months early, 36 cities eggs average retail price of 7.00 yuan / kg, compared with increases of 2.6% in April over the same period last year rose 31.6%, the average rose 1.68 per kg.
Analysis of the Department of Commerce, meat and egg price increases are mainly two reasons for this : First, the low level of livestock herds, reduce the market supply. First half of last year, subject to market demand and supply imbalance and disease factors, all over the pork, egg prices have continued to drop, Many fish farmers to reduce losses substantially reduced scale aquaculture. Second, feed prices to rise, raising the cost of livestock.
Since the beginning of this year, corn, soybean meal and other feed prices to rise, livestock costs increased significantly. January-April nationwide average price of maize over the same period last year rose 20%, the average rise 260 yuan per ton.
www.gxnews.com.cn "

"More showing signs of bird flu in UK
The Brisbane Times
May 27, 2007 at 6:37AM
More people have shown symptoms similar to those caused by a strain of bird flu found at a farm in north Wales, British health authorities said on Saturday.
The cases come a day after four people tested positive for the H7N2 type virus
---
The illnesses were reported after poultry died at a small chicken farm earlier this week.
The Health Protection Agency, which is an independent body, was not immediately able to say how many more people were showing signs of illness.
Those affected either had direct contact with the affected poultry or with farm workers, said Chris Lines, a spokesman for the agency.
The H7 subtype of bird flu is believed to be less virulent than H5, but it has in the past caused human cases, and was responsible for a large outbreak which led to one death in the Netherlands in 2003.
---
The farm came to the attention of British authorities after a number of chickens died.
Dr Christianne Glossop, the chief veterinary officer for Wales, said in a statement on Thursday they had tested positive for H7N2.
A one-kilometre exclusion zone was put in place around the farm, and the remaining chickens have been slaughtered.
Welsh officials said on Saturday chicken from a second farm were being tested for the virus."

"H5N1 Confirm in Soldier in China
Recombinomics Commentary
May 26, 2007
A Chinese soldier has contracted the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the latest human case in the world's most populous country, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The 19-year-old soldier surnamed Cheng was diagnosed with the disease on May 18th and is receiving treatment at a military hospital, the ministry said in a statement.
The above case comes shortly after the confirmation of H5N1 in a patient in northern Vietnam. The location of the case in China has not been given, but H5N1 in the military is cause for concern.
In the past the Fujian (Clade 2.3) strain of H5N1 has been reported in patients in China."
*****
Usually the Chinese have announced the epidemics claiming there's only a couple of victims. Based on their previous information policy on epidemics, one could translate this news as there is one whole military base of soldiers ill.
When epidemics begin, usually the first populations to catch the disease are soldiers in military bases, where people live near each other and are exposed to harsh physical settings. In many countries the military bases are especially watched after ecause there are the first signs of epidemics.

"Russia to limit Finnish poultry imports
Itar-Tass
23.5.2007 at 8:56
Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported Tuesday that Russia had placed a temporary import ban on a Finnish company's poultry products.
Itar-Tass quoted an unnamed Russian official as saying that salmonella had been found in 16 tonnes of Finnish poultry.
Finnish officials had no knowledge of the ban on Wednesday morning but said they would look into the matter."
*****
Salmonella, really? Intresting.

"Tiedote 106/2007
Lääkäreille uudet ohjeet Tamiflu-lääkkeestä
08.03.2007
Tamiflu-lääkkeen saatavuus on parantunut niin, että enää ei ole tarvetta erityisiin rajoitustoimiin. Valmistetta voidaan määrätä normaalisti.
Vuosi sitten (5.1.2006) sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö antoi ohjeen, jossa se kehotti lääkäreitä välttämään Tamiflu-lääkkeen määräämistä tilanteissa, joissa kyse on todennäköisesti lääkkeen hankkimisesta varalle. Perusteena oli, että tuolloin lääkettä oli varsin rajatusti saatavilla.
Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö ei edelleenkään pidä tarpeellisena influenssalääkkeiden hankkimista kotiin mahdollista myöhempää käyttöä varten."

Evira published a new bird influenza portal yesterday - just in time; there was a seagull mass death in Kokkola, Finland last week.

About 33 dead seagulls were found on Vitsari field area, in Kokkola township in Western Finland before last weekend.
Part of the birds had fallen dead while flying. The first eleven dead seagulls were found already 23 April 2007.
The Finnish food safety authority Evira is claiming poisoning is the most probable cause of the mass death although the tests haven't been delivered yet.
The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported the news.

Viral Disease Sickens Hundreds in China
BEIJING(AP)
Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:08:58 PM
An outbreak of a viral disease common in children has sickened almost 900 people in eastern China
---
The outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease began in late April in the city of Linyi in Shandong province, the Xinhua News Agency said.
About 470 patients had recovered by Friday and another 393 people - mostly children - were still sick with more than half still in the hospital, Xinhua said, citing Bao Wenhui, the deputy director of the provincial health department.
The latest information was likely a response to media reports earlier this week that said more than two dozen children had died and that there had been a cover-up. The reports also said the true figures had not been released to prevent public panic. ---
China has in the past been accused of foot-dragging in releasing information about outbreaks of diseases such as bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
---
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes hand, foot and mouth disease as mild, and says nearly all patients recover in seven to 10 days without medical treatment. But one cause of the disease may also lead to more serious and fatal diseases such as encephalitis or a type of paralysis, according to the CDC.
Xinhua said local health departments have launched a public awareness campaign and quarantined children who are sick.
Shandong reported 2,477 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 2005, including one death, and 3,030 cases in 2006, two of which were fatal, the report said."

"Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality and the Increase of Staphylococcus aureus co-infection
Health Alert Network
Wednesday, May 09, 2007, 11:15 EDT (11:15 AM EDT)
CDCHAN-00259-2007-05-09-ADV-N
CDC is requesting that states report all cases of influenza-related pediatric mortality from the 2006-2007 influenza season.
Since 2004, the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System, part of the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, has collected information on deaths among children due to laboratory-confirmed influenza, including the presence of other medical conditions and bacterial infections at the time of death. From October 1, 2006 through May 7, 2007, 55 deaths from influenza in children have been reported to CDC from 23 state health departments and two city health departments. Data on bacterial co-infections were reported for 51 cases; 20 (39%) had a bacterial co-infection, and 16/20 were infected with Staphylococcus aureus. ---"

"Swiss told to stock up on bird flu masks
15. May 2007, Swissinfo
The Federal Health Office has issued a list of personal hygiene guidelines for the Swiss population in the event of a bird flu pandemic among humans.
The main recommendation is for members of the public to stock up on 50 protective masks each, which are available in shops for a few francs.
The government said on Tuesday that the responsibility for being prepared for an outbreak was shared between the public and the authorities.
It said the authorities were responsible for vaccinations, other medicines and the general monitoring of the disease; the public were called on to follow measures that could limit the risk of infection and slow down the spread of a pandemic.
No order to wear masks would be given until after an actual outbreak, according to the Federal Health Office.
Additional personal hygiene recommendations : in the event of a pandemic : include the regular washing of hands with soap, using a tissue when coughing or sneezing which is then immediately thrown away, and avoiding handshakes. ---"

"Call for hospital police in China
By Daniel Griffiths
BBC News, Beijing
Friday, 11 May 2007, 09:35 GMT 10:35 UK
China's health ministry is calling for police to be stationed in hospitals, to protect medical workers from attacks by angry patients and their relatives.
Such disputes have become increasingly common in China in recent years.
The Chinese government says last year there were more than 9,000 attacks on medical workers and facilities, causing more than $25m (£12.5m) of damage.
In one well publicised incident, staff at a southern Chinese hospital had to wear safety helmets for protection.

Under-resourced
Poor regulation has led to rampant corruption, including overcharging and use of fake medicines.
---
But the health service here is in crisis, and facilities and equipment are outdated and under-resourced, especially in the countryside."

"http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
www.chinaview.cn
2007-05-10 at 18:45:26
--- The vaccine invented by the Chinese Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention and the China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control would see its first use in the epidemic-stricken Guangdong province.
'We will speed up the production and distribution of vaccines and simultaneously tighten quality supervision,' said the ministry statement.
The ministry required veterinary departments to stay on high alert for the disease and immediately report suspect cases.
'Once the virus mutates, it will become more pathogenic and more difficult to cure,' it warned. ---
More than 300 pigs died after they stopped eating, became feverish and started hemorrhaging at the end of April. ---"
*****
One just wonders, what does this brand new vaccine contain. H5N1 virus particles?

"Mysterious pig disease in south China identified
www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-09 at 20:36:22
GUANGZHOU, May 9 (Xinhua)
Chinese epidemiologists have discovered that a mysterious pig epidemic spreading throughout south China's Guangdong province is an outbreak of an infectious disease commonly known as 'blue ear disease'.
The disease was first found in Silao town of Yunfu city at the end of April, after pigs stopped eating, developed fevers and started hemorrhaging. More than 300 pigs died.
The 'blue ear disease' spread to China in the middle 1990s and the recent outbreak in Guangdong was caused by a deadly mutation of the virus. China has already developed effective vaccines for the disease and they will be used in Guangdong soon, said the provincial agriculture department.
According to Yunfu government, the infected pigs were raised by individual rural households rather than industrialized pig farms and were not exported to Hong Kong or overseas markets.
Major roads in and out of the town have been sterilized and the sale of pigs in the infected area has been banned."
*****
- Poultry afflicted with HPAI may show i.e. facial swelling (edema) with swollen and cyanotic combs and wattles (cyanotic means a bluish condition caused by lack of oxygen in the tissue)
- A short depiction of the 1918 pandemic:
"--- In the spring of 1918 large numbers of soldiers in the trenches in France became ill. The soldiers complained of a sore throat, headaches and a loss of appetite. Although it appeared to be highly infectious, recovery was rapid and doctors gave it the name of 'three-day fever'. At first doctors were unable to identify the illness but eventually they decided it was a new strain of influenza. The soldiers gave it the name Spanish Flu but there is no evidence that it really did originate from that country. In fact, in Spain they called it French Flu. Others claimed that the disease started in the Middle Eastern battlefields, whereas others blamed it on China and India. A recent study argued that the disease was brought to the Western Front by a group of USA soldiers from Kansas.
For the next few months soldiers continued to be infected with the virus but there were very few fatalities. However, in the summer of 1918, symptoms became much more severe. About a fifth of the victims developed bronchial pneumonia or septicemic blood poisoning. A large percentage of these men died. Others developed heliotrope cyanosis. Doctors were able to identify this by the bluish condition of the sufferer. Over 95% of those with heliotrope cyanosis died within a few days. This second-wave of the epidemic spread quickly. In one sector of the Western Front over 70,000 American troops were hospitalised and nearly one third of these men died failed to recover. ---"

"Mystery disease kills pigs in Southern China: press
Mon May 7, 2007 12:57AM EDT
HONG KONG (Reuters)
A mysterious disease has killed thousands of pigs in China's southern Guangdong province and authorities have disinfected affected farms, markets and abattoirs, several Hong Kong newspapers reported on Monday.
The outbreak began around early April in Silao town, where the animals stopped eating, developed high fevers and started hemorrhaging under their skin.
The disease has since spread to nearby towns, they reported. Its cause is unknown.
Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao quoted officials in nearby Yunfu city confirming that more than 300 pigs had died in Silao town.
Some of the carcasses were hurled into rivers and that may have been responsible for the spread of the disease to surrounding areas, other newspapers reported, with some estimating total losses at more than 3,000 animals.
Faced with heavy financial losses, some farmers have hastily sold sick pigs at reduced prices, the Apple Daily reported.
Although the cause of the disease is unknown, experts ruled out the possibility of people contracting the disease."

Mysterieuze ziekte velt Chinese varkens - Mysterious disease kills Chinese pigs
RTL News
07-05-2007 07:51
Translation to English by christian
"Een mysterieuze ziekte heeft in het zuiden van China duizenden varkens het leven gekost.
Bloedingen
De Chinese autoriteiten zijn bezig boerderijen, markten en abattoirs te desinfecteren. De ziekte brak begin april uit in de stad Silao. De varkens aten niet meer, kregen hoge koorts en leden aan onderhuidse bloedingen.
Mensen
De kadavers van de varkens werden veelal in de rivier gegooid. Daardoor zijn ook varkens in de omgeving besmet. Onderzoekers weten niet welke ziekte de varkens hebben, maar zij zeggen dat die niet schadelijk is voor mensen.
**********
A mysterious disease has killed thousands of pigs in Southern China.
Bleeding
Chinese authorities are in the process of desinfecting markets and slaughterhouses. The disease emerged in the beginning of april in the town of Silao. The pigs stopped eating, developed a high fever and suffered from bleeding under the skin.
Humans
The pigs' cadavers were often dumped in the river. This also resulted in infected pigs in surrounding areas. Researchers don't know which disease the pigs have, but say there's no danger for humans."

"Mysterious Fatal Swine Disease in Guangdong
Recombinomics Commentary
May 7, 2007
'Hong Kong media were full of lurid accounts Monday of pigs staggering around with blood pouring from their bodies in Gaoyao and neighboring Yunfu, both in Guangdong Province. Apple, a daily newspaper here, said that up to 80 percent of the pigs had died in the area, that peasants were engaged in panic selling of ailing animals at deep discounts and that pig carcasses were floating down the river.
Medical experts said that the extent of the reported bleeding from the pigs, including bloody skin lesions, did not sound like common symptoms of bird flu, but added that the pig deaths needed to be investigated. Because pigs can be infected with many avian and human influenza viruses, the most popular scientific model for how avian influenza viruses cause pandemics in humans is that human and avian influenza viruses exchange genetic material when they infect a pig at the same time.'

The above comments on the swine deaths in Guangdong province are cause for concern. Bleeding under the skin was common in the 1918 pandemic, and bleeding from the mouth has been frequently reported in bird and human H5N1 infections, including clusters in Thailand, Turkey, and Iraq.
Moreover, the only country to report H5N1 to a public database has been China (see list below). Several different strains of H5N1 have been reported in Guangdong province including Fujian, Qinghai, and the sequences from the Shantou geese.
---
It was almost exactly two years ago that the Qinghai stain was reported at Qinghai Lake in central China. The sequences in the Qinghai isolates had links to Shantou isolates.
The large number of dead swine should be investigated aggressively. The outbreak at Qinghai Lake in 2005 signaled a major extension of the geographical reach of H5N1, and intensive testing will be required to rule out H5N1 in these swine deaths. Involvement of H5N1 in these deaths would be a significant event in the evolution of H5N1, which is becoming increasingly complex as its geographical reach continues to spread.
---"

Vietnam increases supervision at borders
02/05/2007 at 9:40 PM
Ha Noi (VNA)
"Viet Nam’s international health quarantine centre has increased supervision activities at border gates in an effort to prevent transmissions of type A (H5N1) flu to humans.
The move was brought about after three H5N1 flu patients, including two fatalities, were reported in Egypt and Cambodia last month, said the National Steering Committee for Flu Prevention in Humans at a regular meeting in Ha Noi on May 2.
The centre has also ratcheted up coordination with its Cambodian counterpart to monitor the disease in provinces along their common border.
The Department of Preventive Medicines under the Ministry of Health has in collaboration with the Pasteur Institute, taken measures to supervise avian influenza in the southernmost province of Ca Mau - where the last outbreak was discovered.
Other provinces and cities have also been aggressive in carrying out a 20 million USD project funded by international organisations to battle the epidemic, said the department.
---"

Tema Metropolis declared bird flu zone
Accra, GNA
2 May 2007
The Tema Metropolitan area has been declared an Avian Influenza zone following the detection of the H5N1 strain of the Avian influenza at a poultry farm located along the Accra-Akosombo road in the Tema metropolis.
A total of 1,678 birds have been destroyed at the farm and adjourning houses. Structures within the community have been disinfected and all carcasses incinerated and the remains buried. Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr Ernest Debrah, said these at a press briefing in Accra.
---
Giving a background on the issue, the Minister said on April 24, this year, the Accra Veterinary laboratory diagnosed potential avian influenza in samples taken from the poultry farm in Tema. Further tests in and out of the country confirmed the H5N1 strains, which led to the immediate closure of the farm and a ban on poultry in and out of the farm.
He said, 'we are still conducting investigations to determine where this strain came from and how it entered the farm.'
---
'In the past five years, 172 people have died globally from bird flu with one documented death in Nigeria. There has been no reported case of bird flu in humans in Ghana, ' he said.
--"
*****
Is anyone taking samples of H5N1 suspected people in Ghana?