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Published Date: 2007-05-22 11:00:02
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (84): Bangladesh, Viet Nam (Nghe An), OIE
Archive Number: 20070522.1631

AVIAN INFLUENZA (84): BANGLADESH, VIET NAM (NGHE AN), OIE
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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] Bangladesh
[2] Viet Nam OIE Follow up No. 6 (Nghe An)
[3] Viet Nam, Nghe An
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[1] Bangladesh
Date: Mon 21 May 2007
Source: Reuters Foundation Alertnet [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21553443.htm>

Bangladesh needs a long-term strategy to control the deadly H5N1
strain of bird flu, the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) said on Monday [21 Apr 2007].
No cases of human infection have been reported in Bangladesh, but
some 157 000 chickens have been culled and 1.5 million eggs destroyed
as the virus spread to 11 out of 64 districts since the 1st outbreak,
announced in March [2007].
FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said in a statement the
situation remained "of serious concern" and urged Bangladesh to come
up with a long-term strategy. "Bangladesh has a real chance to get
the virus under control, if it commits itself to a full-scale
comprehensive national control campaign," Domenech said.
Bangladesh should tighten control of the movement of people, animals,
and goods in the virus-affected areas and ensure that basic
biosecurity measures, including disinfection and protective clothing,
are applied, FAO said.
The Rome-based agency said poultry should be culled in affected areas
and minimum hygiene standards established at slaughter points at live
bird markets. FAO recommended targeted poultry vaccination and
upgrading veterinary laboratories for rapid diagnosis of suspected
outbreaks. Bangladesh also should look into potential virus spread
through the market chain, for example through the collection of eggs
and distribution of day-old chicks and feed. It should step up public
awareness campaigns and encourage farmers to report on suspected cases.
Bangladesh has about 220 million chickens and 37 million ducks. The
poultry industry directly employs 5 million people and millions of
households rely on poultry production for income generation and
nutrition, FAO said.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
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[A map of Bangladesh is available at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/bangladesh_pol96.jpg>.
- CopyEd.MJ]
******
[2] Viet Nam OIE Follow up No. 6 (Nghe An)
Date: Mon 21 May 2007
Source: OIE Disease Information, WAHID (World Animal Health
Information Database), weekly disease information, 2007; 20(19) [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=weekly_report_index&admin=0>

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Viet Nam
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Information received on (and dated) 17 May 2005, from Mr Bui Quang
Anh, Chief Veterinary Officer, Department of Animal Health, Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hanoi, Viet Nam
Summary
Report type: follow-up report No. 6
Start date: 6 Dec 2006
Date of confirmation of event: 19 Dec 2006
Report date: 17 May 2007
Date submitted to OIE: 17 May 2007
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 10 Aug 2006
Manifestation of disease: clinical disease
Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, serotype H5N1
Nature of diagnosis: clinical, laboratory (basic), laboratory (advanced)
Report pertains to: entire country
New outbreaks
Outbreak 1: Hung Nguyen, Hung Nguyen, Nghe An
Date of start of outbreak: 9 May 2007
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not submitted)
Epidemiological unit: village
Affected animals
Species: birds
Susceptible: 3800
Cases: 1729
Deaths: 1298
Destroyed: 2181
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: 3 unvaccinated duck flocks
Outbreak 2: Dien Tho, Dien Chau, Nghe An
Date of start of outbreak: 1 May 2007
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not submitted)
Epidemiological unit: village
Affected animals
Species: birds
Susceptible: 1130
Cases: 314
Deaths: 236
Destroyed: 894
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: 2 unvaccinated 40-day-old duck flocks
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 2
Total animals affected
Species: birds
Susceptible: 4930
Cases: 2043
Deaths: 1534
Destroyed: 3075
Slaughtered: 0
Outbreak statistics
Species: birds
Apparent morbidity rate: 41.44 percent
Apparent mortality rate: 31.12 percent
Apparent case fatality rate: 75.09percent
Proportion susceptible removed*: 93.49 percent
* Removed from the susceptible population either through death,
destruction, or slaughter
Epidemiology
Source of infection: unknown or inconclusive
Epidemiological comments: old outbreak areas
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Regional Animal Health Office No. 3
(National laboratory)
Species: birds
Test: real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)
Test date: 9 May 2007
Result: positive
--
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******
[3] Viet Nam (Nghe An)
Date: Mon 21 May 2007
Source: Thanh Nien News [edited]
<http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8>

Bird flu has infected several duck farms in a central Vietnamese
province, the 3rd infection detected in the region in less than a
month local health authorities said Monday [21 May 2007].
Tests found the H5N1 virus among the samples taken after some 400
ducks died in a farm in Nhan Thanh commune, Nghe An province, on 18
May 2007, the local Animal Health Department said. Other nearby farms
also reported dead ducks in the following days.
Animal health workers have slaughtered the remaining ducks in the
commune, disinfected the area, and banned poultry transport from the
infected area. The H5N1 virus has killed 42 people in the Southeast
Asian country since it re-surfaced in Asia in late 2003. While more
people have been confirmed as infected or killed by bird flu this
year [2007] in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Laos, and Nigeria,
Viet Nam has had no human cases since November 2005.
The virus emerged again among ducks and chickens in the south late
last year [2006] and earlier this year [2007]. Today [21 May 2007],
Viet Nam [launched] the 2nd round of poultry vaccinations against
bird flu nationwide, which targets up to 90 percent of the country's
poultry stock this year [2007]. Some 111 million poultry, including
70.3 million chickens, were vaccinated in the 1st phase, which is
still ongoing in several provinces.
Waterfowl are a reservoir for the disease and can spread the H5N1
virus in their droppings as they roam through rice fields. Ducks
often show no symptoms of sickness, making it harder to detect and
contain the virus. Experts fear that if the virus mutates, it could
start passing easily from one person to another and would sweep the
globe, killing millions.
The virus has killed 172 people among the 291 infected people in 12
countries stretching from Asia to the Middle East to Africa.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most deaths have
occurred in Indonesia and Viet Nam.
[Byline: Khanh Hoan, transl. The Vinh]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Outbreaks continue in both Viet Nam and Bangladesh. It is
encouraging that there are no human cases associated with these
outbreaks, but it must be recognized that the continuation of spread
in birds increases the risk of transmission to humans.
Both countries simultaneously represent encouraging success and a
looming threat. While time has permitted long-term strategies to
succeed in many countries, spread in areas where disease control has
been instituted for a substantial period of time begs the question of
why reoccurrences happen. The area involved is in the middle of Viet
Nam, an area spared during the latest spate of outbreaks. For a map, see
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=event_summary&this_country_code=VNM&reportid=4158>.
The outbreak in Viet Nam has a relatively high case fatality rate
(CFR) at 75 percent, although not the 100 percent rate seen in some
other outbreaks. It is unfortunate that almost 7 percent of the ducks
are unaccounted for and could be spreading further disease.
In Bangladesh, we would, of course, benefit from an official update
to help clarify the degree of spread of the virus. Since the last
official information at the end of April 2007, reported 9 new
outbreaks, we can only assume a substantial number of new outbreaks
have occurred since then. Definitive assessment of the situation
should be withheld until the official tally comes in. - Mod.PC]

See Also