Published Date: 2005-11-14 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, human - East Asia (170): China, susp
Archive Number: 20051114.3329
AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN - EAST ASIA (170): CHINA, SUSPECTED
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date Mon 14 Nov 2005
From ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source Reuters Foundation AlertNet, Mon 14 Nov 2005 [edited]
China: possible human case of avian influenza in north eastern province
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BEIJING: China is probing a possible human case of bird flu in a north
eastern province, the World Health Organisation said on Mon 14 Nov 2005,
the second area of the country to make such a precautionary diagnosis. The
Liaoning provincial government, which has already culled some 10 million
birds, said last week that preliminary tests had ruled out avian influenza
in humans, though one chicken worker was suffering from pneumonia of an
unknown cause. "They said that there is a female poultry worker who's been
diagnosed with pneumonia and she's regarded as a possible human case (of
avian influenza) -- they've not excluded her," said Roy Wadia, the WHO's
China spokesman. China is battling to control several outbreaks of the
deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus in poultry, but has yet to report any
human cases.
The latest known outbreak in poultry had occurred in a village near Huainan
city in the eastern province of Anhui, Central Television (CCTV) said on
Mon 14 Nov 2005. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that some 800
poultry had died of [H5N1 virus infection] on 6 Nov 2005 and that more than
126 000 birds had been culled within a radius of 3 km (2 miles), CCTV said.
Nearly 280 000 poultry had been vaccinated, it added.
The WHO is sending a team this week to the southern province of Hunan to
investigate 3 other pneumonia cases which China said could not be ruled out
[as cases of H5N1 avian influenza] as the 3 lived close to the site of a
poultry outbreak. One of the pneumonia patients, a 12 year old girl, died.
Tests to confirm or deny bird flu in the 3 would take at least a week,
Wadia said.
Human cases of bird flu have killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003,
mainly in Vietnam and Thailand. So far the H5N1 strain has not shown it can
spread easily among people. To try to control the spread in China, millions
of birds have been slaughtered and the country has begun a compulsory
poultry vaccination scheme. While state media said on Monday that some
parts of Liaoning which had reported bird flu were now clear of the
disease, the Hong Kong government said over the weekend that Beijing had
confirmed an outbreak in the central province of Hubei.
Premier Wen Jiabao warned last week that the country was facing a "very
serious situation" as the disease had not been brought under control and
was likely to spread.
(additional reporting by Vivi Lin)
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The diagnosis appears to be based on symptoms alone. Until the results of
laboratory test become known the existence of overt human cases of avian
H5N1 influenza virus anywhere in China remains no more than speculation.
The WHO team has still to give an opinion on the disease status of the
previous suspected case in Hunan province. - Mod.CP]
[Elsevier reference Ilyushina NA, et al. Detection of amantadine-resistant
variants among avian influenza viruses isolated in North America and Asia.
Virology 2005; 341(1) 102-6.
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=GatewayURL&_origin=SDPROMED&_urlVersion=4&_returnURL=&_method=citationSearch&_version=1&_volkey=0042-6822%23341%23102%231&md5=20066fe6384ac2109a632ee7eb31f754>]
See Also
Avian influenza, human - East Asia (162): China, susp. 20051106.3252Avian influenza, human - East Asia (159): China, H5 antibody 20051104.3231
Avian influenza, human - East Asia (157): China, RFI 20051103.3214
Avian influenza, human - East Asia (153): China 20051028.3145
Avian influenza, human - China (02): not 20050528.1484
Avian influenza, human - China: susp., RFI 20050525.1435
.......................cp/sh
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