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**HenryN** · April 28, 2006, 01:25 PM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

Commentary at

H7N3 Bird Flu Confirmed in UK Poultry Worker

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04280601/H7N3_UK_Confirmed.html

Recombinomics Commentary

**GaudiaRay** · April 28, 2006, 05:10 PM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

And the answer is....via Dr. Niman,
> The co-circulation of H7 and the Qinghai strain of H5N1 is cause for concerns. E627K could be acquired by H7N3 via recombination or reassortment. This acquisition would likely increase virulence in an H7 which is probably readily transmitted between humans.<

Everyone got the answer yet? Write it down. This is one of the answers.
Be the first on your block to tell 'em all. First, go into the bathroom, look at the mirror, and tell that person, slowly, clearly, tell that person. This virus is not kidding around.

Originally posted by niman

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04...Confirmed.html

H7N3 Bird Flu Confirmed in UK Poultry Worker

Recombinomics Commentary
April 28, 2006

the worker, who does not want to be named, has the H7N3 strain of bird flu which is not highly infectious

The above comments acknowledge that H7N3 has caused at least one case of conjunctivitis in Great Britain. This case is not a surprise. H7 infections in poultry frequently result in conjunctivitis cases in human contacts. The most recent example was in British Columbia in 2004 where several poultry workers developed conjunctivitis from H7N3. However the H7N7 outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003 produced over 80 cases of conjunctivitis in poultry cullers.

However, a sensitive assay was developed to detect H7 antibodies and hundreds or thousands of culler contacts had H7 antibodies, indicating human-to-human transmission of H7 is efficient. The cases had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic. However, a veterinarian developed pneumonia and died. This is the only reported fatality from bird flu linked to a serotype other than H5N1. The H7N7 isolated from the fatal case had PB2 E627K.

E627K was first reported in H5N1 from birds in the 16 isolates from Qinghai Lake, almost 1 year ago. All Qinghai H5N1 PB2 sequences to date have also had E627K. This polymorphism is liked to enhanced polymerase activity at lower (33 C) temperatures. It is also associated with increased virulence in mammals.

Although the has been only one report of H5N1 in the UK, the Qinghai strain has been detected throughout Europe, raising serious issues about the sensitivity of the assay in the UK. The UK surveillance failed to detect significant infections by H5N1 or low pathogenic serotypes, even though over 7000 birds were tested. The surveillance failed to detect any H7 infections.

The co-circulation of H7 and the Qinghai strain of H5N1 is cause for concerns. E627K could be acquired by H7N3 via recombination or reassortment. This acquisition would likely increase virulence in an H7 which is probably readily transmitted between humans.

**AlaskaDenise** · April 28, 2006, 05:38 PM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

There was a discussion on this at UK: Chickens test for bird flu-strain (H7 or H5N1)

.

**Snowy Owl** · April 29, 2006, 07:12 AM

Reassurances As Worker Catches Bird Flu

Reassurances As Worker Catches Bird Flu

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/29042006/140/reassurances-worker-catches-bird-flu.html

Officials have moved swiftly to reassure the public after a poultry worker contracted the H7 strain of bird flu in the form of conjunctivitis. Letters are being delivered to some 1,800 homes near to the Norfolk farm, as vets continue to slaughter 35,000 chickens after the virus was detected earlier this week. Both the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and Norfolk County Council have stressed the countryside is "open" despite the outbreak.

...

The HPA said the worker reported his illness on Friday, adding symptoms were limited to an eye infection, without respiratory problems.
The infected man, who has not been identified, has the low pathogenic H7N3 strain of avian flu which does not transmit easily from person to person, it added.
Dr Maria Zambon, Director of the HPA's Influenza Laboratory, said: "He is in good health. He has a mild illness.

**Snowy Owl** · April 29, 2006, 07:19 AM

Conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza in poultry worker

Conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza in poultry worker
http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2006/060428_avian_flu_h7.htm
Helath Protection Agency

Press Statement
28 April 2006

Conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza in poultry worker

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed that a poultry worker is suffering from conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza. The individual works on the Norfolk poultry farm confirmed as having an outbreak of (low pathogenic) H7N3 avian influenza.

H7N3 does not transmit easily from poultry to people, so the risk to those in contact with the infected poultry is considered low. H7N3 does not transmit readily from person to person and so the risk to anyone in contact with the infected poultry worker is also considered to be very low. In almost all cases of human H7 infection to date, the virus, in both low and high pathogenic forms, has only caused a mild disease. Therefore in this outbreak the risk to the general public is extremely limited.

The poultry worker reported his illness on 27 April. Samples were taken and sent to the regional Health Protection Agency laboratory and the HPA Centre for Infections for analyses where H7 was confirmed.

The poultry worker, who does not require hospitalisation, was given the antiviral drug oseltamivir as a precautionary measure on 27 April, as soon as the HPA was notified of the incident at the Norfolk poultry farm. Oseltamivir is the standard treatment for H7. The poultry worker, along with the others involved in the incident, is also being offered seasonal influenza vaccine. Normal seasonal flu vaccination is given to prevent the H7 virus from mixing with any human flu viruses that may be circulating.

Conjunctivitis causes red, sore, itchy eyes and the worker has no respiratory symptoms. To date, most human cases of H7 avian influenza have presented with conjunctivitis only.

The local Health Protection Agency has identified and followed up the poultry worker's household contacts and is providing guidance and advice, and preventative medication as appropriate.

As a precautionary measure the Health Protection Agency is taking nose and throat swabs and blood tests from the other poultry workers, and monitoring their health closely. As the poultry workers were involved in the H7 incident, they are already taking oseltamivir for prevention of illness.

Dr Jonathan Van Tam , a flu expert at the Health Protection Agency, said:
"It is important to remember that H7 avian flu remains largely a disease of birds. The virus does not transmit easily to humans, as evidenced by the small number of confirmed infections worldwide to date. Almost all human H7 infections documented so far have been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry.
"The threat to human health posed by H7 avian influenza viruses remains very low despite the recent developments in Norfolk ."

Notes to editors

To speak with an HPA press officer, contact the Centre for Infections press office on 020 8327 6055/7098/7097/6690
The symptoms of H7 are generally mild. Most human cases have presented with conjunctivitis only (red, sore, itchy eyes). Some cases have had influenza-like illness with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, headache and aching muscles, either with or without conjunctivitis.
A small number of H7N3 human infections has been associated with previous poultry outbreaks. Reported symptoms included conjunctivitis and mild flu-like illness.
Pathogenicity refers to a virus' capability to cause disease in poultry. Viruses of low pathogenicity in poultry, pose very little health risk to people. The only documented incidents when a low-pathogenic H7 virus has caused illness in humans have been three individual sporadic cases in Italy , USA and England causing conjunctivitis. The only documented human case in the UK was in 1996, when there was a single case of a female farmer who acquired H7 influenza and suffered conjunctivitis after cleaning out a poultry house.
A very large outbreak of highly-pathogenic H7N7 in the Netherlands in 2003 caused 88 cases of human disease with minor symptoms, mainly conjunctivitis (eye infection) and one death in a vet. An outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza also occurred in British Columbia , Canada in 2004 causing two cases of conjunctivitis in humans.
Defra advice is to not handle dead wild birds where possible; but if you do have to handle a single dead bird to follow simple hygiene precautions: these can be viewed at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/index.htm
If members of the public see a dead swan, goose or duck or three or more dead wild, or garden birds together in the same place, these should be reported to the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77.
For further information on human health implications visit the HPA website:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/avian/default.htm
For further information on avian flu visit the Defra website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm
For further information on the Defra wild bird survey visit:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/survey.htm
The general public can play their part by reporting any unusual wild bird deaths to the Defra helpline on 08459 335577.

**Bruce** · April 29, 2006, 02:23 PM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

<big>More farms infected with bird flu</big> Two more poultry farms around the one already affected near Dereham, Norfolk, have become infected with bird flu, said Defra.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that preliminary results indicated the farms were affected by the less serious H7N3 strain of avian flu, but further tests were being carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
A spokesman said: "The two free range flocks will be slaughtered on suspicion of an avian notifiable disease. A restricted zone has been put in place extending 1km from each of the infected premises.
"The State Veterinary Service is tracing movements and contacts, the necessary surveillance and all appropriate worker protection measures have been put in place."
Debby Reynolds, chief veterinary officer, said: "We are investigating whether there any links or movements between the two suspect farms and the confirmed infected premises.
"The working hypothesis remains that the most likely source of the virus is from another premises or from wild birds."
Earlier it was announced that all 35,000 chickens at the first Norfolk farm hit by bird flu outbreak had been slaughtered.
Officials reassured the public of the "extremely low" risk to human health after a poultry worker at the first farm contracted the virus in the form of conjunctivitis.
Letters were also being delivered to some 1,800 homes near the farm.
Both the Health Protection Agency and Norfolk County Council stressed the countryside was "open", despite the outbreak in which the worker is thought to have become infected via close contact with poultry.

Ananova News

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1823515.html?menu=

Visit the post for more.

**AlaskaDenise** · April 29, 2006, 03:28 PM

Fears that chicken farm's 'safe' bird flu virus could mutate

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...28/ixhome.html

Fears that chicken farm's 'safe' bird flu virus could mutate
By David Sapsted, (Filed: 28/04/2006)


As ministry vets prepared to gas 35,000 chickens to curb an outbreak of bird flu, a prominent virologist warned the government not to be sanguine over this supposedly "safe" strain of the disease.

Prof Albert Osterhaus, a Dutch virologist, said that the H7 strain found in the flock just outside Dereham, Norfolk, had the potential to mutate into a form just as hazardous as the H5N1 strain, which has killed more than 100 people in Asia.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=178 align=right border=0 hspace="0"><TBODY><TR><TD width=8 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=170><CENTER></CENTER></TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption><CENTER>DEFRA workers at the contaminated farm in Hockering, Norfolk </CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
He said he believed that an H7N7 outbreak in Holland in 2003 could have resulted in more fatalities had the Dutch authorities not acted swiftly to cull 30 million birds.

As it was, a Dutch vet, who was not given anti-viral drugs, died of the N7 strain after examining a flock of birds.

Dr Debby Reynolds, the chief veterinary officer, is waiting for the results of laboratory tests to learn how pathogenic the Norfolk strain of avian influenza is.

"This is most likely to be the H7 virus. It has a very low probability of infecting humans," she said in London. "Clearly, avian influenza and the H5N1 strain has generated a lot of concern and a lot of comment. There is no evidence that this is H5N1. This is most likely to be the H7 strain, which is potentially very serious for poultry."

However, Prof Osterhaus, who identified the virus behind the Sars disease, said from his research centre in Rotterdam: "You can't say the H7 virus is less dangerous than H5 until we know how pathogenic it has become. The H7 strain could become as dangerous as the H5N1 strain as it could mutate in a similar way. I do not know how highly pathogenic the strain on the Norfolk farm is. If you are lucky and it is a low pathogenic virus, culling the birds will suffice but if it is highly pathogenic any transfer of faeces on clothing, crates or even the wheels or vehicles will need to be traced.

"After the avian flu on the Dutch farm, we did screenings of wild birds and found the ancestors of the H7 virus in wild mallards. They carried a low pathogenic virus but when it got into flocks of poultry it was able to replicate and mutated quickly. It eventually became deadly. It does not mutate in wild birds so quickly because they do not live in such large flocks."

The chickens at Witford Lodge Farm in North Tuddenham, near Dereham, are expected to be gassed and then incinerated on the premises today.
Dennis Foreman, a director of Banham Poultry Ltd, which owns the farm, said that the number of chickens to have died from bird flu was "minimal".
"As a company we don't want this but, at the end of the day, it happened and we have got to deal with it professionally," he said. A one kilometre exclusion zone has been imposed around the farm, which is used to produce eggs for hatching elsewhere.

The infected chickens were brought from France in February. Dr Reynolds said there was a three-week incubation period of the virus and it was probable that the hens became infected after they arrived in Britain

.

**HenryN** · April 29, 2006, 06:36 PM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

Chickens at two more British farms are found to have bird flu

By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor

Published: 30 April 2006

Britain's defences against bird flu were last night exposed as ineffective, as chickens in two more farms in Norfolk were found to have a strain of the disease. The news came as an Independent on Sunday investigation revealed severe flaws in the Government's surveillance against the infection.
The two new infected farms are in the same area, near Dereham, as Whitford Lodge Farm, Hockering, where 35,000 chickens are being slaughtered after the disease was found there last week. A worker caught a mild form of the bird flu.
Their flocks, with 15,300 more birds, will be culled and a one-kilometre "restrictive zone" - limiting movements of poultry, eggs and poultry products - has been imposed around all three. Yesterday, even before last night's announcement, Japan banned poultry imports from Britain.
Dr Debby Reynolds, the Government's chief vet, said that yet more farms may be infected, adding that "we still cannot say that either of these two further farms are the index case" - the one where the infection started. The chickens at the two new farms, which have the same owner, are free range - heightening the chances that they will have caught the virus from wild birds. This will increase criticism of Dr Reynolds and ministers who repeatedly refused to order Britain's poultry indoors to minimise risk of infection.
The flu is a low-pathogenicity form of the H7N3 virus - not the virulent H5N1 - but experts say that it, too, could mutate to become deadly. The Government's defences - erected against H5N1 - should have caught this other strain if they had been effective.
Ministers and officials who boasted that Britain was "probably better prepared than any other nation" through "surveillance" and "early action" are facing the possibility of another foot-and-mouth style fiasco. Dr Reynolds admits the surveillance - testing wild birds for flu - failed to find any carrying the virus affecting the farms, despite the greatest bird flu monitoring exercise ever carried out in Britain.
The Independent on Sunday's investigation has established the testing itself may be to blame. Experts from Ohio State University and the University of Kalmar in Sweden say the Government's programme is turning up far too few cases of normal low pathogenicity flu, which is always in birds, to be credible.
The experts say samples must immediately be put in saline or preservative; the British tests fail to do this. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says its tests are valid, but plans a trial to see if the methods used abroad are better.

Britain's defences against bird flu were last night exposed as ineffective, as chickens in two more farms in Norfolk were found to have a strain of the disease. The news came as an Independent on Sunday investigation revealed severe flaws in the Government's surveillance against the infection.
The two new infected farms are in the same area, near Dereham, as Whitford Lodge Farm, Hockering, where 35,000 chickens are being slaughtered after the disease was found there last week. A worker caught a mild form of the bird flu.
Their flocks, with 15,300 more birds, will be culled and a one-kilometre "restrictive zone" - limiting movements of poultry, eggs and poultry products - has been imposed around all three. Yesterday, even before last night's announcement, Japan banned poultry imports from Britain.
Dr Debby Reynolds, the Government's chief vet, said that yet more farms may be infected, adding that "we still cannot say that either of these two further farms are the index case" - the one where the infection started. The chickens at the two new farms, which have the same owner, are free range - heightening the chances that they will have caught the virus from wild birds. This will increase criticism of Dr Reynolds and ministers who repeatedly refused to order Britain's poultry indoors to minimise risk of infection.

The flu is a low-pathogenicity form of the H7N3 virus - not the virulent H5N1 - but experts say that it, too, could mutate to become deadly. The Government's defences - erected against H5N1 - should have caught this other strain if they had been effective.
Ministers and officials who boasted that Britain was "probably better prepared than any other nation" through "surveillance" and "early action" are facing the possibility of another foot-and-mouth style fiasco. Dr Reynolds admits the surveillance - testing wild birds for flu - failed to find any carrying the virus affecting the farms, despite the greatest bird flu monitoring exercise ever carried out in Britain.
The Independent on Sunday's investigation has established the testing itself may be to blame. Experts from Ohio State University and the University of Kalmar in Sweden say the Government's programme is turning up far too few cases of normal low pathogenicity flu, which is always in birds, to be credible.
The experts say samples must immediately be put in saline or preservative; the British tests fail to do this. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says its tests are valid, but plans a trial to see if the methods used abroad are better.

http://news.independent.co.uk/enviro...icle361042.ece

**AlaskaDenise** · April 30, 2006, 02:32 AM

H7N3 pathogenicity

Before we all get too comfy cozy with the idea that all is well, read the article here about H7N3 in the Fraser valley, BC. They had an H7N3 outbreak and mutiple strains evolved....very quickly. Some even had the multi amino acids at the HA cleavage site (not good). So lets hope the Brits get their testing techinique down pat real quick and figure out which tiger they have by the tail.

note there are other reports about H7 outbreaks in the references.

.

**Bruce** · April 30, 2006, 03:59 AM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol10no12/04-0961.htm

and

H7N3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

H7N3 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus (sometimes called bird flu virus).
In North America, the presence of H7N3 was confirmed at several poultry farms in British Columbia in February 2004. As of April 2004, 18 farms had been quarantined to halt the spread of the virus. Two cases of humans infected with it have been confirmed in that region. Symptoms included conjunctivitis and mild influenza-like illness. Both fully recovered.
"The H7N3 strain was first detected in turkeys in Britain in 1963 and made one of its last known appearances in poultry in Canada in April and May 2004, according to the WHO and World Organisation for Animal Health. An outbreak of the less virulent H5N2 strain of bird flu in Taiwan in 2004 led to the culling of hundreds of thousands of fowl." <sup id="_ref-0" class="reference">[1]</sup>
"Taiwan found a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu, H7N3, in droppings left by a migratory bird and is carrying out tests to see whether the virus has spread to nearby poultry farms, the agriculture department said 14 November 2005." <sup id="_ref-1" class="reference">[2]</sup>
For the first time since 1979, H7N3 was found in the UK in April 2006. It infected birds and one poultry worker (whose only symptom was conjunctivitis) in a Norfolk, England Witford Lodge Farm. "Antiviral Tamiflu was administered to poultry workers on the farm as a precautionary measure. [...] 35,000 chickens will be culled in the infected farm and a 1 kilometre exclusion zone has been placed."<sup id="_ref-2" class="reference">[3]</sup>
[edit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H7N3

**HenryN** · April 30, 2006, 07:25 AM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

Poultry workers free of bird flu
Three poultry workers who showed signs of illness after a fellow worker tested positive for bird flu do not have the disease, health officials say.
The trio displayed symptoms of conjunctivitis after an avian flu outbreak at a farm in Norfolk.
It comes after another worker at the farm contracted the H7 strain of the flu in the form of the eye infection.
Bird flu - thought to be the H7 strain - has now been detected at three poultry farms near Norwich.
The farms have been named as Norfolk Road Farm and Mowles Manor Farm, both in North Tuddenham.
Both are approximately two miles away from Witford Lodge Farm, the scene of the original outbreak last week, where some 35,000 chickens were slaughtered.
Culling of chickens at Norfolk Road Farm has been taking place this morning, after preliminary tests indicated they had the H7 strain of bird flu.

The government said initial tests showed the farms were affected by a less serious strain than the deadly H5N1 which killed a swan in Fife.
Two free range flocks would be slaughtered, officials said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that preliminary results indicated the farms were affected by the H7N3 strain of avian flu.
'Low risk'
Officials have said risk to the public remained "extremely low."
"H7 avian flu remains largely a disease of birds," said Dr Jonathan Van Tam, a flu expert at the Health Protection Agency.
"The virus does not transmit easily to humans, as evidenced by the small number of confirmed infections worldwide to date."
The three workers who were suspected of having conjunctivitis work at a slaughterhouse owned by Banham Poultry, which runs Witford Lodge Farm.
They underwent tests and specimens were sent to the regional HPA laboratory but the results came back negative and their symptoms are not linked to bird flu, an HPA spokeswoman said.

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=fact>We are investigating whether there any links or movements between the two suspect farms and the confirmed infected premises
Debby Reynolds Chief Veterinary Officer </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The strain found at Witford Lodge Farm, which is in North Tuddenham about 13 miles (20km) west of Norwich, was also the H7 type.
It is virulent among chickens but less of a threat to humans than the H5N1 variant.
Restricted zone
Discussing the latest outbreak, a Defra spokesman said: "The two free range flocks will be slaughtered on suspicion of an avian notifiable disease."
A restricted zone has been created, extending 1km from each of the infected premises.
The spokesman added: "The State Veterinary Service is tracing movements and contacts, the necessary surveillance and all appropriate worker protection measures have been put in place."
Debby Reynolds, chief veterinary officer, said: "We still can not say whether either of these two further farms are the index case; further premises may be involved.
"We are investigating whether there any links or movements between the two suspect farms and the confirmed infected premises."
She said the working hypothesis remained that the most likely source of the virus was from another premises or from wild birds.
A Defra spokeswoman said the two new farms which tested positive for avian flu had the same owner.
The spokeswoman said that one farm had 7,500 chickens and the other had 7,800 chickens.
Last month a swan in Cellardyke, Fife, tested positive for H5N1 - the only confirmed case in the UK so far.
Dutch outbreak
An outbreak of an H7 variation, called H7N7, in the Netherlands led the Dutch government to order the slaughter of more than 30 million birds in 2003.
The 2003 outbreak in the Netherlands infected more than 80 people and led to the death of one vet.
The H5N1 virus has killed more than 100 people in Asia.
But neither strain poses a large-scale threat to humans as bird flu cannot pass easily from one person to another.
However, some experts fear the H5N1 virus could mutate and trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...ws/4959586.stm

Published: 2006/04/30 11:52:17 GMT

**HenryN** · April 30, 2006, 07:26 AM

More False Negatives?

The negavtive results on the three poultry workers with conjunctivitis symptoms suggests the UK can readily generate false negatives with human or bird samples.

**HenryN** · April 30, 2006, 08:33 AM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

Commentary at

H7N3 Bird Flu False Negatives in UK?

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04300601/H7N3_UK_False.html

Recombinomics Commentary

**HenryN** · April 30, 2006, 09:06 AM

Re: UK poultry worker 'has bird flu' (H7)

More commentary at

More UK Poultry Workers with H7N3 Bird Flu Symptoms

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04300602/H7N3_UK_More_Symptoms.html

Recombinomics Commentary