ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2006-04-10 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza - worldwide (84): Czech Rep., UK (Scotland), Myanmar
Archive Number: 20060410.1070

AVIAN INFLUENZA - WORLDWIDE (84): CZECH REPUBLIC, UK (SCOTLAND), MYANMAR
************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
[1] Czech Republic, swans
[2] & [3] UK (Scotland), wild birds
[4] Myanmar, poultry
******
[1] Czech Republic, swans
Date: Sun 9 Apr 2006
From: Alfonso Rodriguez <ajrm_msds@yahoo.es>
Source: Xinhuanet news, 4 Apr 2006 [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/09/content_4401110.htm>

2 more swans killed by bird flu in Czech Republic
-----------------------------------------------
Another 2 swans killed by bird flu have been found in the Czech
Republic, both in Bavorovice near the south Bohemian center Ceske
Budejovice, State Veterinary Authority spokesman Josef Duben said
Saturday [8 Apr 2006].
All the previous cases of bird flu have been detected in South
Bohemia, and they all involved swans.
The latest 2 swans have been found on the right bank of the Vltava
river, almost on the same spot where the 5th swan victim was found a
week ago. Tests showed that they died of the highly infectious H5
virus.
"Since they have been found on the spot of the previous find, the
declared protective measures will remain unchanged," Duben said.
Extraordinary veterinary measures have been in effect in the affected
areas in south Bohemia since last week.
Local breeders must not keep poultry in open-air enclosures. A ban
has been imposed on the transfer of poultry, eggs and further related
material, and people's access to poultry farms has been limited.
Steps have been taken to secure disinfection of people and cars in
contact with the farms.
The extraordinarily measures are to last for 21 days at least.
[Byline: Wang Nan]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[According to the official notification of the Czech Republic to the
OIE dated 29 Mar 2006, a total of 1259 samples of wild birds found
dead were tested between 1 Jan and 25 Mar 2006 within the framework
of the national surveillance program, all with negative results. The
1st positive bird (a dead mute swan, _Cygnus olor_) was detected on
20 Mar 2006. As reported in the above newswire, since then, 5
additional cases have been diagnosed, all in swans and in the same
region; see map at
<http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=48.9742&lon=14.4777&scale=2000000&icon=x>.
- Mod.AS]
******
[2] UK (Scotland), wild birds
Date: Sun 9 Apr 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Sunday mail, London, 9 Apr 2006 [edited]
<http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16922304&method=full&siteid=64736&headline=2400-reports-of-dead-birds-every-day-name_page.html>

2400 Reports Of Dead Birds Every Day
---------------------------------------------
More than 2400 Scots a day have jammed switchboards with information
on dead birds since the avian flu outbreak began.
Despite the public being warned not to call if they find just a
single dead garden bird, the high volume of calls continued yesterday
[8 Apr 2006].
Scientists confirmed on Wednesday [5 Apr 2006] that a swan with the
deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been discovered in Cellardyke,
Fife.
Yesterday [8 Apr 2006], teams were traveling across Scotland to pick
up bird carcasses reported by the public.
Scotland's 8 testing laboratories have been kept open over the
weekend, and an extra 70 staff have been drafted to work in the
surveillance zones set up around Cellardyke.
At least 14 dead birds have already been tested for the disease and
given the all-clear. More results are expected from the laboratories
over the next few days.
The Scottish Executive said officials had picked up dead birds from
22 sites in the area surrounding the initial case, with another 8
reports being checked out yesterday [8 Apr 2006]. The collection
included 14 suspected H5N1 carcasses from Fife, 9 of which were given
the all clear on Friday [7 Apr 2006] and the remaining 5 yesterday.
More than 3300 birds found dead in Britain have been tested for bird
flu since Christmas, and only one -- the Cellardyke swan -- has been
identified with the killer strain that has caused 109 human deaths
throughout the world.
The Department for Food and Rural Affairs received more than 2420
calls on Friday [7 Apr 2006], 8 times more than normal.
Spokeswoman Penny Fox said: "We have had a number of calls about dead
geese, swans and ducks spotted around the country, and we will be
getting environmental officers to go out and collect each of these.
Although the volume is high, our processes are dealing with it
competently. We ask people to call in if they see a single dead swan,
duck or goose or 3 or more garden birds. Please do not call if you
have seen a single dead blackbird, because those do not pose a risk."
Scotland's chief veterinary officer Charles Milne said restrictions
on poultry introduced last week could start to be lifted from 20 Apr
2006 if no more cases were found. He added: "Currently in Scotland,
there are no suspected cases of this disease being investigated.
Routine surveillance will continue. The intention is to publish the
results of that surveillance weekly."
The chief vet said the Cellardyke swan had been dead for some time
and was partially decomposed when it was found at the high water mark
in the Fife village on Wednesday [5 Apr 2006].
Last night [8 Apr 2006], supermarkets said they weren't too worried
about an effect on the sales of eggs and poultry. And the tourism
industry seems to be unaffected by the bird flu scare so far.
Visit-Scotland reported no cancellations. A spokesman said: "It looks
like people are being quite sensible about this."
The Defra helpline is 08459 33 55 77. It can be contacted between 6
a.m. and 10 p.m. every day. You should only call if you spot dead
swans, ducks, or geese or clusters of garden birds. If you find the
body of just one garden bird, do not call Defra. You should leave it
alone or:
Wear disposable protective gloves, and place the bird in a plastic
bag, taking care not to contaminate the outside of the bag. Put the
bag in a second bag and place the disposable gloves in it.
Alternatively, the dead bird can be buried, but not in a plastic bag.
Contaminated clothing should be washed. Indoor surfaces should also
be washed thoroughly.
[Byline: Himaya Quasem]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Timely and detailed publication of AI cases identified in wild birds
might help in maintaining consumers' confidence. Some of the
countries use the internet to publish their wildlife surveillance
results (examples: Denmark, Germany; information on additional,
similar national AI websites will be welcomed). Others, such as
Croatia, express their transparency by notifications to the OIE (8
notifications on AI in wildlife, so far).
A useful map of the European AI situation is available at the
European Commission's Disasters website at
<http://disasters.jrc.it/AvianFlu/index.asp?europe=true>.
Avian influenza H5N1 has already been confirmed in wild birds in 13
Member States of the European Union. - Mod.AS]
******
[3] UK (Scotland), wild birds
Date: Mon 10 Apr 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: 1strung, 10 Apr 2006 [edited]
<http://1strung.co.uk/articles.asp?pageid=NEWS&articlekey=1691&cat=44-0-0>

RICS calls for calm
---------------------
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland (RICS
Scotland) has called for calm in the debate surrounding the discovery
of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Fife, Scotland.
A vigilant approach from those involved in the industry and an
informed and measured response is necessary to prevent misinformation
and panic.
The poultry industry has been proactive in drawing up its own
contingency measures, working with the Scottish Executive and other
advisers. Support for the poultry register has been considerable.
Information such as this will be a key part of the monitoring and
response.
The likely impact on wild birds and shooting industries is more
difficult to predict. However, those involved in this area have been
seeking advice and support from their advisers in advance of any
outbreak.
It is estimated that shooting contributes BP 650 million [USD 1130
million] to the UK rural economy each year, so the potential impact
on this sector should not be underestimated.
The possibility that the virus may mutate into different forms or
infect other species means that vigilance is vital. A flexible yet
speedy response will be required in these circumstances, supported by
good bio-security measures.
Angus McNicol, Head of the RICS Scotland Rural faculty, said: "This
is a worrying situation for everyone, but it is important that people
remain calm. All of those involved in the rural sector --
particularly poultry and shooting -- have been drawing up their own
contingency plans in line with official guidance. Our members have
been advising their clients and staff on Health and Safety measures
and bio-security. RICS continues to recommend vigilance and a
measured approach. Many lessons have been learned from the way that
BSE and foot and mouth were handled. It is vital that we use all of
the information available to take an appropriate response as the
situation evolves."
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[4] Myanmar, poultry
Date: Mon 10 Apr 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Reuters Alertnet, 10 Apr 2006 [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK292205.htm>

Myanmar fighting over 100 bird flu outbreaks - UN
-----------------------------------------------
Bird flu is spreading fast in secretive, military-ruled Myanmar,
which is now battling more than 100 outbreaks in poultry since the
virus was 1st reported a month ago, U.N. agriculture officials said
on Monday [10 Apr 2006].
After visits by 2 teams from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the situation in the former Burma appeared to be
"more serious than what we imagined," said He Changchui, the
Rome-based body's Asia-Pacific representative.
"Up to now, there are over 100 outbreaks, mainly in 2 districts,
Mandalay and Sagaing," He told a news conference in Bangkok.
A historic trading hub between India, China and Thailand, Mandalay
lies in the center of the country and Sagaing in the north. [See map
at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/myanmar.pdf>.]
"The issue there is that awareness is rather poor. The information is
not that comprehensive," He said.
Myanmar reported its 1st outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on 13 Mar 2006,
and within a week, the number of outbreaks had climbed to 5. Even
then, FAO experts said the authorities were struggling to cope.
David Nabarro, the U.N.'s bird flu coordinator who is on a 5-nation
swing through Asia, described Myanmar as having major problems.
"We're going to be focusing on Myanmar a lot in the next few days and
weeks, trying to make sure that the authorities and civil society in
that country are able to cope better," he said.
Alongside FAO efforts to boost culling and provide vaccines and
protective gear for agricultural workers, the World Health
Organization (WHO) is to send a team to Yangon at the end of the
month to assess human defenses against the H5N1 virus.
The Asian Development Bank said in March 2006 that it would be
eligible for funds from a USD 38 million program to help poor
countries plug gaps in their health defenses.
There have been no reported human cases in Myanmar of H5N1, which
scientists fear could mutate into a form that jumps easily between
people and start a global flu pandemic.
[Byline: Ed Cropley]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Avian influenza was initially suspected in Myanmar (but denied by
the authorities) in February 2005. The 1st official notification was
sent to the OIE on 13 Mar 2006, relating to one outbreak in poultry
in Mandalay. On 16 Mar 2006, Myanmar reported 7 additional outbreaks
in Mandalay and one in Sagoing. See postings 20050208.0433,
20050322.0822, 20060315.0810 and 20060318.0837. - Mod.AS]

See Also