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Published Date: 2007-01-20 00:00:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (13): Japan H5N1, Viet Nam, Indonesia
Archive Number: 20070120.0260

AVIAN INFLUENZA (13): JAPAN H5N1, VIET NAM, INDONESIA
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[1] Japan (Miyazaki) - HPAI H5N1 confirmed
[2] Viet Nam, Can Tho
[3] Indonesia
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[1] Japan (Miyazaki) - HPAI H5N1 confirmed
Date: Thu 18 Jan 2007
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Kyodo News via Japan Times [edited]
<http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070119a4.html>

Bird flu virus in Miyazaki outbreak highly virulent
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The avian influenza that broke out last week at a poultry farm in Miyazaki
Prefecture involved a highly virulent virus, the Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries Ministry said on Thursday [18 Jan 2007]. The ministry determined
the degree of virulence through a laboratory examination of virus samples
taken from chickens that died of bird flu on the Miyazaki farm.
The National Institute of Animal Health, which identified the virus as the
highly pathogenic H5N1 strain on Tuesday [16 Jan 2007], drew the conclusion
after 8 chickens inoculated with the sampled virus were dead by Thursday
[18 Jan 2007], the ministry said. Based in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, the
institute will continue genetic analysis for the consideration of the
ministry's panel of experts.
The H5N1 strain, a subtype of the influenza A virus circulating basically
in birds, has spread mainly in Asia and has killed more than 160 people in
10 countries since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Its
latest outbreak in poultry in Japan -- the 5th bird-flu case here since
2004 -- occurred at Taniguchi Furanjo Kurosaka Farm in Kiyotake, Miyazaki
Prefecture, causing the death of 3500 birds in one of the farm's 3 poultry
houses, mostly last week.
In the town of Kiyotake, inspectors from the Miyazaki Prefectural
Government's task force Thursday [18 Jan 2007] checked bird-keeping
households and homes within a 10 km radius of the farm, after they finished
examining the 11 poultry farms with more than 1000 chickens in the area
Wednesday [17 Jan 2007].
Ten households with at least 20 birds, including chickens and bantams
[small breeds of chickens], were selected for Thursday's [18 Jan 2007]
on-site inspections to take blood and fluid samples from 5 birds per
household, task force officials said, adding that results will be released
within a few days.
More than 150 households are breeding a total of around 1600 avian species
in the town, including parakeets and other small birds kept as pets, town
officials said.
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[2] Viet Nam, Can Tho
Date: Fri 19 Jan 2007
From: Mary Marshall <tropical.forestry@btinternet.com>
Source: Reuters Alertnet [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HAN277071.htm>

Bird flu found in ducks in Viet Nam city of Can Tho
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Bird flu has killed ducks in the southern Mekong delta's largest city of
Can Tho, as Viet Nam's animal health experts increase measures to contain
the H5N1 virus, a government report said on Friday [19 Jan 2007]. The
Animal Health Department said that tests showed H5N1 had killed ducklings
in Can Tho 4 days after the virus was found in neighboring Soc Trang
province. The report said the domesticated ducks had not been vaccinated
against the virus.
The Agriculture Ministry has ordered a new round of poultry vaccinations
and sent more animal health experts to try to stem the bird flu, which has
struck 7 provinces and Can Tho city in the southern rice basket region in
the past month as a harvest nears.
This week, the government ordered farmers to stop ducks from roaming in the
Mekong delta. Animal health officials said H5N1 has killed nearly 19 000
poultry in the delta, mostly ducks. Not all ducks are killed by the virus,
some being infected without showing symptoms. The birds still excrete the
virus in their droppings as they paddle through muddy rice paddies looking
for insects and leftover grain.
Viet Nam has had no human H5N1 cases since November 2005, but the virus
that 1st hit the south east Asian country in late 2003 returned to the
Mekong delta last month [December 2006]. Thursday's [18 Jan 2007] Lao Dong
(Labour) newspaper said 23 people who ate ducks that died from unknown
causes in Bac Lieu province have been put under surveillance.
The government is anxious to stop bird flu spreading ahead of the Tet Lunar
New Year festival in mid-February [2007], when poultry is part of the
traditional feast. Officials fear the disease could spread nationwide on
the wings of migrating birds and through the movement of poultry, including
the smuggling of chickens and ducks from neighboring countries.
Bird flu killed 42 of the 93 people infected in Viet Nam in 2003-2005. It
has killed 161 people out of 267 infections globally since 2003, World
Health Organization figures show.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[For Can Tho, see province 18 in the interactive map at
<http://www.angelfire.com/co/hongnam/vnmap.html>. - Mod.AS]
******
[3] Indonesia
Date: Fri 19 Jan 2007
From: Mary Marshall <tropical.forestry@btinternet.com>
Source: Reuters Alertnet [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK212987.htm>

Indonesian capital's bird cull gets mixed reaction
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A campaign to rid the Indonesian capital of backyard fowl to fight bird flu
got a mixed reaction from residents on Friday [19 Jan 2007], with some
welcoming it, while others worried about losing a key source of income.
Jakarta governor Sutiyoso set fire to about 1600 chickens, ducks, and
pigeons that had been slaughtered and dumped into a pit overnight in a
densely populated neighborhood. Some residents responded with cheers of
"Hurray!" at the launch of the campaign, although the culled birds were not
known to have been infected by bird flu.
Sutiyoso told city residents on Wednesday [17 Jan 2007] that their backyard
fowl would be confiscated and destroyed if they failed to get rid of the
birds by the end of the month. The move followed the deaths of 4 people in
Jakarta and its surrounding areas since the start of the year [2007], which
took the number of confirmed human deaths from the virus in Indonesia to
61, the highest in the world. "We support the government's program. It's
better to do this than worrying about being infected," a resident said. But
some residents were worried about the cost. Many people in Indonesia keep
poultry to supplement their meager incomes. "The program is good but how
can we eat eggs but not chicken?" she asked.
A trader at a nearby bird market said he had not sold a single bird since
the governor announced the ban. He said that, even though traders like him
could still sell birds, traders and owners would need to get a clean bill
of health for birds from authorities. This could discourage buyers. "I hope
officials can be present here to facilitate the certification," he said.
Health minister Siti Fadilah Supari on Thursday [18 Jan 2007] said the ban
in Jakarta would be extended to 8 other provinces that had reported human
infections of the H5N1 bird flu virus. More than a dozen people have been
admitted to hospital with bird flu-like symptoms since the start of the
year [2007], although many have been discharged or tested negative for the
virus.
Indonesia faces an uphill task controlling the disease. Millions of
backyard fowl live in close proximity to humans, and health education
campaigns have often been patchy and rules difficult to enforce.
Illustrating this, chickens roam freely just a few minutes walk from the
capital's central business district.
Official calls for culling have also met stiff resistance in the past due
to meager compensation and difficulties enforcing rules in the provinces.
Officials said poultry owners would be paid compensation of 12 500 rupiah
(USD 1.4) for each sick bird killed. A fully grown chicken costs about 35
000 rupiah [USD 4] in Jakarta. The governor said on Wednesday [17 Jan 2007]
that there would be no payment for healthy birds.
[byline: By Heru Asprihanto]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[No cases of avian influenza have been detected in Europe during the
current winter season. It will be interesting to follow the results of this
year's (2007) EU surveillance in wild birds. In 2006, infected wild birds
were detected between February and May. Avian influenza is one of the main
subjects for discussion during the due 25th Plenary meeting of EFSA'a
(European Food Safety Authority) Animal Health & Animal Welfare panel, to
be convened in Parma, Italy, 31 Jan - 1 Feb 2007. Among the topics: avian
influenza - zoo birds vaccination; avian influenza vaccines; situation -
migratory birds. - Mod.AS]

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