Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

[AlaskaDenise]

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20070124.G01&irec=0

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

A scientist has warned the government not to place too much of the blame for bird flu on poultry as it could result in the public being unaware of the fact that other animals can also carry the virus.


Veterinary pathologist Wasito of Gajah Mada University's veterinary medicine told The Jakarta Post at his office in Yogykarta on Tuesday that other animals, such as cats, dogs and even files, could also carry the virus.

"A study we are conducting here, for example, has convincingly found that it is possible for flies to spread the bird flu virus," he said.

Through a series of laboratory tests involving flies collected from different parts of the country and using molecular research methods, Wasito and his colleagues found that the virus was found in the digestive and respiratory tracks of flies, along with the cuticle layers, flesh and ovum.

Bird flu outbreaks in Indonesia are categorized as either low pathogenic (LPAI) or highly pathogenic (HPAI).

The LPAI form usually attacks only the digestive and respiratory tracts, while HPAI attacks the digestive and respiratory systems along with other organs, including flesh and ovum.

"We do not yet dare to say whether the avian influenza we found in the flies is LPAI or HPAI. We can only say that in the flies, we also found the bird flu virus in other organs," Wasito said.

He said that the research had also reveled that the virus was not only found in flies taken from areas in the middle of bird flu outbreaks.
Wasito said the virus had also been found in flies taken from places that have been declared bird flu free. Only flies taken from locations that have never had a bird flu outbreak were always found H5N1 negative.

"This means that the virus in flies is still inherited in at least the 25th generation, as the research was conducted generally two years after an outbreak," said Wasito, explaining that the flies had a one-month life span.

He also warned that it was possible that a new type of the virus could emerge and lead to massive outbreaks of the disease in animals and humans.

He said that recent field and laboratory studies he had conducted with his colleague Hastari Wuryastuti of the school's veterinary clinical center had found what they called a "silent" bird flu.

"This type of virus does not incite the production of antibodies in the infected bird. The bird, too, looks normal and healthy and shows no pathological lesions or other clinical symptoms that it is infected by the virus," Wasito said.

"We have found some bird flu cases in which we could not find the antibodies in H5N1 positive birds."

He said the danger was that because the birds looked healthy, no one would notice that they were infected with the virus. As a result, poultry farmers might give them the bird flu vaccine.

"This can lead to fatalities, as the vaccine can only be given to birds that are really healthy and bird flu free," said Wasito.

He said he strongly suggested putting an end to mass vaccinations.
Wasito also criticized the government's lack of scientific ground in curbing the bird flu outbreak, which had resulted in scientifically baseless policies.

Declaring that a particular region is bird flu free, for example, or providing a certificate announcing that a particular bird is free from bird flu, according to Wasito, were misleading and making people less aware of the danger of a possible outbreak.

"Socializing good bio-security is a much more effective way to deal with bird flu outbreak," Wasito said, referring to a program that introduces communities to healthy ways of life, good farming practices and the correct way to keep an animal in a neighborhood.

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[JetStuuby]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

Flies?! Jeez, SIP just got even harder. No insects allowed inside. Hmmmm time to start breeding spiders and lizards

Jet

[gsgs]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

Wasato doesn't mention that the human and avian viruses are different.
Not important ? Does he have more avian sequences, some of which
do match ?
Could flies be the hidden reservoir ? Does it go fly2fly or bird2fly2bird2fly...?

Please give us the fly-sequences !

[Theresa42]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

Research on blow flies published last year. Blech!:

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Aug;75(2):327-332.

DETECTION AND ISOLATION OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA A VIRUSES FROM BLOW FLIES COLLECTED IN THE VICINITY OF AN INFECTED POULTRY FARM IN KYOTO, JAPAN, 2004.

Sawabe K, Hoshino K, Isawa H, Sasaki T, Hayashi T, Tsuda Y, Kurahashi H, Tanabayashi K, Hotta A, Saito T, Yamada A, Kobayashi M.

Department of Medical Entomology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

During the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza that occurred in Tamba Town, Kyoto Prefecture in 2004, a total of 926 flies were collected from six sites within a radius of 2.3 km from the poultry farm. The H5 influenza A virus genes were detected from the intestinal organs, crop, and gut of the two blow fly species, Calliphora nigribarbis and Aldrichina grahami, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the matrix protein (M) and hemagglutinin (HA) genes. The HA gene encoding multiple basic amino acids at the HA cleavage site indicated that this virus is a highly pathogenic strain. Based on the full-length sequences of the M, HA, and neuraminidase (NA) segments of virus isolates through embryonated chicken eggs, the virus from C. nigribarbis (A/blow fly/Kyoto/93/2004) was characterized as H5N1 subtype influenza A virus and shown to have > 99.9% identities in all three RNA segments to a strain from chickens (A/chicken/Kyoto/3/2004) and crows (A/crows/Kyoto/53/2004) derived during this outbreak period in Kyoto in 2004. Our results suggest it is possible that blow flies could become a mechanical transmitter of H5N1 influenza virus.

PMID: 16896143 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16896143&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

<H3 align=center>Environmental Survival of Avian Influenza Viruses </H3>

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/idsa/influ...cts/avflu.html

• <LI class=body>Influenza viruses remain infectious after 24 to 48 hours on nonporous environmental surfaces and less than 12 hours on porous surfaces (see References: Bean 1982). (Note: The importance of fomites in disease transmission has not been determined.) <LI class=body>Influenza A viruses can persist for extended periods of time in water (see References: WHO: Review of latest available evidence on risks to human health through potential transmission of avian influenza [H5N1] through water and sewage). One study of subtype H3N6 found that virus resuspended in Mississippi River water was detected for up to 32 days at 4?C and was undetectable after 4 days at 22?C (see References: Webster 1978). Another study found that several avian influenza viruses persisted in distilled water for 207 days at 17?C and 102 days at 28?C (see References: Stallknecht 1990). <LI class=body>Influenza A viruses can be preserved in lake ice and then released when the ice thaws the following spring or, in the case of arctic ice, up to years later. This may lead to temporal gene flow between viruses entrapped during one year and those shed by migrating birds in following years (see References: Zhang 2006). <LI class=body>Recent data from studies of H5N1 in domestic ducks have shown that H5N1 can survive in the environment for 6 days at 37?C (see References: WHO: Laboratory study of H5N1 viruses in domestic ducks: main findings). <LI class=body>Inactivation of the virus occurs under the following conditions (see References: OIE 2002, PHS):
  • <LI class=body>Temperatures of 56?C for 3 hours or 60?C or more for 30 minutes <LI class=body>Acidic pH conditions
  • Presence of oxidizing agents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, lipid solvents, and B-propiolactone
  • Exposure to disinfectants: formalin, iodine compounds

Hosts

Avian influenza A viruses can infect a variety of domestic and wild avian species (including chickens, turkeys, ducks, domestic geese, quail, pheasants, partridge, psittacines, gulls, shorebirds, seabirds, emu, eagles, and others). The clinical manifestation of infection in birds ranges from asymptomatic infection to rapidly fatal disease (see References: Horimoto 2001).
Aquatic birds, particularly ducks, shore birds, and gulls, are considered the natural reservoirs for avian influenza viruses (see References: Fouchier 2004; Webster 1992). These waterfowl generally do not develop disease when infected with avian influenza viruses (see References: Horimoto 2001); however, H5N1 appears to be virulent for a variety of wild bird species.
An outbreak of H5N1 among migratory geese and other wild birds in Qinghai province, China, was identified in May 2005 (see References: Chen 2005; Liu 2005).
An outbreak in wild swans occurred in Azerbaijan in February 2006 and severe illness from H5N1 influenza recently has been recognized in a variety of other wild bird species (see References: Gilsdorf 2006; Olsen 2006; USGS National Wildlife Health Center: List of species affected by H5N1 influenza).
A recent laboratory study showed that North American wood ducks and laughing gulls are susceptible to illness and death from highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses (see References: Brown 2006).

• <LI class=body>Domestic chickens and turkeys are susceptible to severe and potentially fatal influenza A caused by HPAI strains. Over the past several years, numerous H5N1 outbreaks have been recognized in chickens and an H5N1 outbreak in turkeys was identified in 2005 (see Oct 13, 2005, CIDRAP News story). <LI class=body>Investigators in Asia showed that asymptomatically infected domestic ducks shed more H5N1 virus for longer periods in 2004 than in 2003, which may be a factor in amplifying the spread of H5N1 to domestic poultry (see References: FAO/OIE/WHO 2004). <LI class=body>Another report demonstrated the presence of H5N1 influenza virus in asymptomatic eagles that were smuggled from Thailand into Belgium in 2004 (see References: Borm 2005).
• HPAI H5N1 viruses were isolated from asymptomatic tree sparrows in the Henan province of China in 2005 (see References: Kou 2005).

Certain mammals also are susceptible to influenza.

• <LI class=body>Influenza A viruses have traditionally been known to cause disease in horses, pigs, whales, and seals; however, the range of several influenza A subtypes is expanding to different mammalian species. <LI class=body>H5N1 influenza A has now been shown to infect cats, leopards, tigers, civets, and dogs (see References: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Influenza Team 2006: H5N1 infections in cats; Keawcharoen 2004; Songserm 2006: Fatal avian influenza A H5N1 in a dog; Songserm 2006: Avian influenza H5N1 in naturally infected domestic cat; Thanawongnuwech 2005; Webster 2006; Yingst 2006). H5N1 recently was isolated from an infected mink and a stone marten in Europe (see References: WHO 2006: Influenza research at the human and animal interface). <LI class=body>A recent report involving cats experimentally infected with H5N1 demonstrated that infected cats excreted the virus via the respiratory tract and the digestive tract, suggesting that in addition to the respiratory route, other routes of transmission may play a role in spread among mammalian hosts (see References: Rimmelzwaan 2006). Cat-to-cat transmission of H5N1 can occur (see References: WHO 2006: Influenza research at the human and animal interface). <LI class=body>H5N1 was identified in pigs in China in 2001 and 2003 (see References: Cyranoski 2004). The virus also was found in pigs in Indonesia early in 2005, when 5 of 10 pigs tested in western Java were shown to be asymptomatically infected, although the virus was not found in 150 pigs tested from outside the area (see References: Cyranoski 2005).A news report indicated that the virus was again isolated from pigs on the Indonesian island of Bali in the summer of 2006 (see Oct 10, 2006, CIDRAP New Story).
• Cases of canine influenza caused byH3N8 recently have been recognized in the United States; this subtype traditionally has been found in horses (see References: Crawford 2005, Yoon 2005).

Transmission

• <LI class=body>Routes of bird-to-bird transmission include:
  • <LI class=body>Airborne transmission if birds are in close proximity
  • Direct contact with contaminated respiratory secretions or fecal material
  <LI class=body>Vertical transmission is not known to occur <LI class=body>Other factors that contribute to spread within and between flocks include the following:
  • <LI class=body>Broken contaminated eggs in incubators infecting healthy chicks (see References: OIE 2002) <LI class=body>Movement of infected birds between flocks <LI class=body>Movement of fomites such as contaminated equipment, egg flats, feed trucks, and clothing and shoes of employees and service crews (see References: APHIS: Highly pathogenic avian influenza; Beard 1998) <LI class=body>Contact with infected wild birds and waterfowl
  • Fecal contamination of drinking water
  • Garbage flies (suspected of transmitting the virus during the 1983-1984 epidemic in Pennsylvania) (see References: Beard 1998)

The disease is highly contagious. One gram of contaminated manure can contain enough HPAI virus to infect 1 million birds (see References: APHIS: Highly pathogenic avian influenza).

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

Dr. Niman's travelogs have had entries for the blowflies at Kyoto. What's news here is there persistance in "bird flu free" areas & the details on which body organs are impacted.

Glad to see the Indonesian scientists being so thorough.

Finally we have some answers to our insect vector questions of over a year ago.

.

[gsgs]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

good that we have it, but many questions are still open and
it took awfully long. This is not like normal research, time
is important !

[homestead]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

The information from CIDRAP regarding garbage flies as being suspected in the transmission of AF to poultry in Pennsylvania during the 1983-1984 poultry epidemic has been available on their web site (in the article cited by SO above) for quite a long time. If it turns out that flies do presently carry the HPAI, we might want to add fly swatters and the old fashioned barn flystrips to our prep supplies!

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

In small home flocks, an attempt should be made to screen the enclosure if at all possible. Those dangling sticky flystrips should be a second line of defense, and **** out of reach of insect devouring birds. In commercial houses insecticides will be mandatory. This could get very interesting, flies are ubiquitous in every farm setting I have ever seen commercial to backyard.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

The absolute best solution to flies I've ever seen it the Sterling RESCUE fly trap. It's a disposable plastic sack with a non-pesticide attractant inside. YOu add water, hang up and watch the flies go inside as if it were rotting meat. They cannot get out. It may seem pricey, but it's worth every penny.

It reduced my livestock flies dramatically.

.

[Jonesie]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

DON'T USE A BUG ZAPPER!

http://www.mediarelations.k-state.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/bugs629.html

K-STATE RESEARCHERS SAY BUG ZAPPERS MAY CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD
MANHATTAN -- Would you like flies with that burger?

The onset of summer brings a plethora of activities, including backyard cookouts. But also with summer comes an onslaught of pests such as flies and mosquitoes. Perhaps nothing ruins an outdoor barbecue more than the annoying presence of uninvited guests of the bug variety.

To battle these winged-nuisances, many people have installed or use an electrocuting insect trap or bug zapper. While the sizzling "zzzap" of the fly being fried -- or any other unfortunate insect lured to its jolting demise by this shocking siren -- may be music to the host's ears, the fly may ultimately have the last laugh -- especially if the devices are used around food handling areas.

According to a team of researchers at Kansas State University, that sound may also signal the potential for a shower of microorganisms including viruses cascading onto the surrounding area. Because of the airborne bacteria and virus-laden particles produced by the explosion of these electrocuted insects, the researchers recommend they not be used in food handling areas, hospitals, daycare facilities or any variety of places where the control of insects is important.

"The bug zapper is probably not the method of choice of killing insects because it might actually aggravate the situation, in terms of a microbial spread," said James Urban, a K-State associate professor of biology.

Urban conducted the study along with Alberto Broce, a professor of entomology; Kim Huntzinger, a recent K-State microbiology graduate; and Kent Hampton, an entomology research assistant. The result of their findings were presented Wednesday at the American Society for Microbiology's conference in Chicago.

"We're compounding the problem rather than solving it because the operation of these bug zappers results in the generation of high numbers of airborne insect particles," Broce said. "That presents an additional problem because we can breathe those particles, and it is well documented that insect particles can be very allergenic."

Despite the heat generated when the bugs are electrocuted, contamination on the fly's surface area or its digestive canals is not heated to a level lethal enough to destroy the bacteria and viruses. This allows them to survive on the particles ejected by the explosion. It is the heat that causes the bugs to explode.

According to the researchers, internally contaminated flies, or those that have bacteria and viruses in their digestive canals, are less likely to spread them because the microorganisms are on the inside of the fly. Urban said the increased distribution of organisms on the fly surface is potentially significant because the surface contamination is most likely to result from the flies moving about on filth such as feces.

Urban said although only about 1 in 10 million of the viruses in the fly's digestive canals are released upon electrocution, the released viruses and bacteria can be spread over a great distance.

"We were surprised to see as much microorganism dissemination as was the case," Urban said. "We thought there may be a few bacteria that got spread, but we're finding really significant amounts on the surface of the fly will survive.

"You can say 'well one in 10,000 is not very high,' except that flies will carry millions of bacteria naturally. If you're having one in 10,000 survive, that means hundreds literally can get spread from each fly during the explosion."

In addition to the harmful particles, Broce said the zappers only kill a small percentage of insects that are annoying or damaging to human health. They also indiscriminately kills "beneficial" insects that help control other bugs.

Broce said research indicates more often than not people are bitten by mosquitoes in the vicinity of the traps than away from them. The lights from the traps draw mosquitoes from large distances, and increase their density in the vicinity of the traps. Once in the vicinity of the traps the mosquitoes change course and direct their attention to nearby humans or animals.

"We jokingly say if you have problems with mosquitoes in your backyard, give one of these traps to your neighbors so the mosquitoes will go over there," Broce said.

According to Broce, manufacturers are moving away from using traps with electric grids. Newer traps capture and kill insects using an adhesive board behind a light to attract the insects. Broce said these models can be modified to be just as efficient as those with electric grids.

-30-
For more information contact Urban at 785-532-6631 or Broce at 785-532-4745.



June 1999

[Theresa42]

Re: Scientist warns of bird flu in flies

Avian flu remains unexplored, yet it is early to fear virus spread by flies - UN, WHO
Feb 7, 2007

By RIA Novosti's Mikhail Tsyganov in JAKARTA

Although much is yet to be learned about avian flu, it is too early to fear that the virus will be spread by flies, senior experts at the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) told RIA Novosti in semi-flooded Jakarta.

?There is much we still have to learn about the disease,? said Dr. David Nabarro, United Nations (UN) System Senior Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza.

Asked to comment on the H5N1 virus found in flies by an Indonesian scientist, he said he could not yet say anything for sure.

He added: ?Although this is an important hypothesis, the role of flies in the spread of avian flu is still unclear and needs further research.?

In his interview with The Jakarta Post, which reverberated through global media, veterinary pathologist Wasito from Yogyakarta?s Gajah Mada University said recently that he had managed to discover the H5N1 virus in the digestive and respiratory tracts of flies. The expert said that the virus had also been found in the 25th generation of flies in areas that were certified avian flu free two years ago.

?A study we are conducting here has convincingly found that it is possible for flies to spread the bird flu virus,? Wasito said.

?The research is interesting, but needs a serious check,? Dr. Georg Petersen, WHO representative in Indonesia, told RIA Novosti.

He said: ?You can find various viruses, including H5N1, anywhere, even right here in my office. What matters is whether it can infect people.?

?The situation with the flies is absolutely unclear, and, moreover, we have not received any official information about such findings yet,? the WHO official told the agency.

Increasingly frequent reports about H5N1, and, most importantly, about antibodies developed in stray cats and dogs, sound much more serious. In the past days alone two relevant research efforts have been reported on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali.

However, the research presented nothing new. Last summer in an interview with RIA Novosti, WHO experts active in Indonesia acknowledged unofficially that the virus had been found not only in cats but also in pigs. The virus in pigs is believed to be more dangerous as it can mutate and infect people.

?Although the virus was indeed found in cats, tigers and pigs, it does not mean that such animals can infect people with H5N1,? Dr. Petersen said.

The infection, which has been sweeping the world over from the first death of a human in Nigeria to the first case of human infection in South Korea, and from an outbreak among birds in Egypt to a hotbed in Great Britain, has inspired a lively interest in the spread of the lethal disease, which has already killed 165 out of 273 infected people since its return in 2003.

The situation is the worst in Indonesia, which left Vietnam behind and became the world leader for avian flu deaths in mid-2006. This country, which has the world?s fourth largest population, has already reported more than a third of all avian flu cases among people, and the danger of the spread of the virus is growing with the arrival of the rainy season. Six Indonesians died of the dangerous virus in January alone.

?The situation in Indonesia is more worrisome because of the size of the problem and of the nature of the production system, in which there is a lot of the virus circulating in the high-density backyard chicken populations in Java and Sumatra,? said Laurence Gleeson, a regional manager with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

?Temporary control of the spread of the virus was established in other countries, but here in Indonesia the virus' is constantly present,? said Dr. Petersen.

?As long as the virus continues to circulate in birds, the threat of a pandemic [among people] will persist,? said Margaret Chan, the new head of the WHO.

?The most dangerous aspect of avian flu in Indonesia is new and new cases of human infection from diseased birds,? Dr. Petersen agrees.

?Every new case increases the possibility of the virus mutation into a new strain to infect people and pass easily from an individual to an individual. In this case a global pandemic can hardly be prevented,? the WHO official said.

The leading experts believe that such a pandemic could kill tens of millions of people the world over within several weeks.

http://www.biz-day.com/read/bric/07_feb_07/gkfjc-z/avian_flu_remains_unexplored_yet_it_early_fear_virus.htm