Hungary - Bird flu in geese

[HenryN]

Re: Hungary - Bird flu in geese

Do you suppose this is another opportunity for last year's jilted porcine bride? Or has she moved on?

I'm sure the H1N1 swine are still in Europe. Its really a matter of the concentration of H5N1, as well as the selection advantages for G228S. Since position 228 in influenza B is G, there may not be much pressure to chnage to S.

[Dark Horse]

Re: Hungary - Bird flu in geese

I'm sure the H1N1 swine are still in Europe. Its really a matter of the concentration of H5N1, as well as the selection advantages for G228S. Since position 228 in influenza B is G, there may not be much pressure to chnage to S.

Thank you, Dr. Niman. I'll stop dreaming about her for now.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Hungary - Bird flu in geese

Hungary tests more geese for bird flu

29 Jan 2007 10:07:24 GMT

BUDAPEST, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Hungary has found more suspected bird flu cases among geese near a farm where the highly pathogenic strain of the virus was confirmed last week, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.

"Due to the strong suspicion of bird flu it was necessary to order the culling of 9,400 geese on the morning of January 27," the ministry said in a statement.

The village of Derekegyhaz where the sick geese were found is in the southeastern Csongrad county, close to the area where authorities culled 3,300 geese last week.

Several countries have imposed import bans on Hungarian poultry after the bird flu outbreak, the first in the European Union this year.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29137160.htm

[Niko]

Re: Hungary - Bird flu in geese

Bird Flu Confirmed in Hungary; Virus Spreads in Japan (Update2)

By Jennifer M. Freedman and Karima Anjani


Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Geese in Hungary tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, marking the first confirmed infection in the European Union since August. Japan found a third outbreak of avian influenza on a poultry farm.

Authorities found the H5N1 avian influenza strain in two separate flocks of geese in Hungary, European Commission spokesman Philip Tod said today. Japan's agriculture ministry reported an H5 virus in chickens in the western prefecture of Okayama, after H5N1 outbreaks on the southern island of Kyushu.

Countries in Europe, Asia and Africa reported fresh outbreaks of the H5N1 virus starting in November, after going months without finding infections. Egypt and Indonesia later found seven human cases, six of whom died.

There are no signs that the virus is evolving to become more easily spread among people, a World Health Organization official in Indonesia said.

``There haven't been changes and that's good news,'' Georg Petersen, the WHO's country representative in Indonesia, said in an interview on Jan. 25. Indonesia has reported more H5N1 fatalities than any other country, with 63 confirmed by WHO.

The WHO is tracking the virus in case it becomes more infectious among people, possibly leading to a pandemic like the 1918 outbreak that killed as many as 50 million people worldwide. At least 164 of the 270 people known to be infected with bird flu since 2003 have died, including a six-year-old Indonesian girl in Central Java Province, the Geneva-based WHO said today.

High Risk

The European Union hasn't had any human cases. The last reported avian infection in Europe was a wild bird found in Germany in August, according to the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health.

Tod said the EU is ``in a period of high risk,'' adding that the bloc's 27 members have been asked to be particularly vigilant for signs of bird flu.
Hungary is investigating an outbreak among geese at a farm in the southern town of Derekegyhaza, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the site of the initial outbreak. Authorities ordered all 9,400 geese to be slaughtered Jan. 27 after some of the fowl began showing symptoms associated with avian flu, Hungary's Agriculture Ministry said in an e-mailed statement.

``There's a big lake nearby, and some wild ducks were there to enjoy the incredibly mild winter weather,'' ministry spokesman Andras Dekany said in a telephone interview. ``They spread the virus through their feces.''
Infections in Asia

Governments across Asia are intensifying surveillance for H5N1 after the virus resurfaced in domestic poultry and wild fowl in South Korea, Thailand, China and Vietnam in the past few weeks. Hong Kong's government today confirmed that two more birds found earlier this month carried the H5N1 virus, adding to the three already discovered in the city.

Demand for poultry products has dropped by as much as 50 percent in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, following the local government's ban on raising backyard flocks, effective Feb. 1. The Rome-based FAO today encouraged Indonesians to continue eating poultry, saying that the meat is safe as long as hygiene procedures are followed.

``Controlling highly pathogenic avian influenza is difficult enough, without having to deal with the economic consequences of a market collapse, which affects the livelihoods of so many people,'' Anni McLeod, senior officer for livestock policy, said in the FAO statement.

Companies and countries are preparing for an outbreak of pandemic flu with medicines and vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Europe's largest drugmaker, today asked European regulators to approve an H5N1 vaccine that could be given to people before the virus begins spreading widely in humans.

Taiwan's National Health Research Institute conducted successful animal tests of a vaccine against the bird flu strain, the Associated Press reported today. The vaccine might be ready for mass production in two years after human testing is completed, the wire service reported, citing Pele Chong, leader of the Institute's vaccine development program.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jennifer M. Freedman in Brussels at jfreedman@bloomberg.net ; Karima Anjani in Jakarta at kanjani@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: January 29, 2007 11:05 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aXKcSO6166zA&refer=japan#

[sharon sanders]

Eurosurveillance report on H5N1 Outbreaks 1/07 - Hungary

Two outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in farm geese, Hungary, January 2007
Editorial team (eurosurveillance.weekly@hpa.org.uk), Eurosurveillance editorial office
First outbreak
On 21 January 2007, an increase in deaths among geese at a farm near Lapist? village (Csongr?d county in southern Hungary) was reported to the Hungarian veterinary authorities. The breeding flock consisted of 3355 birds. Two birds died on 19 January, eight on 20 January, and 18 on 21 January. During an investigation at the farm on 21 January, more than 30 birds with neurological symptoms were discovered. On 22 January, 29 more deaths in this flock were registered in the morning and further 33 during the day. [1,2]
The following measures were taken to contain the outbreak:

• On 22 January, five dead geese were sent to the national reference laboratory for further analysis.
• On 23 January, all 3265 birds on the farm were culled (90 died in the outbreak) and the farm was disinfected.
• A 3-kilometre protection zone and 10-kilometre surveillance zone were set up around the affected farm. There are no settlements within one kilometre distance from the farm, but there are 57 households with backyard poultry (1743 birds) within the 3-kilometre zone, and further 1253 households with backyard poultry (29 590 birds) and 8 large farms with around 47 000 birds within the 10-kilometre zone.
• All domestic birds within the two zones were examined.
• The European Commission was informed of the suspected outbreak of avian influenza.

On 24 January, the national reference laboratory announced that the samples collected from dead geese at the Lapist? farm contained the highly pathogenic A/H5N1 virus. These findings were confirmed on 30 January by the European Union reference laboratory in Weybridge, United Kingdom.
On 23-24 January, regional public health authorities assessed the possible risk of exposure of poultry workers [3]. One person who had worked closely with the birds but had not worn protective overalls was offered and accepted chemoprophylaxis immediately. Further 11 people who had been involved in culling the birds received medication after the virus was identified, because although they had been given all the necessary protective equipment (a Tyvec overall with headwear, rubber boots, heavy duty rubber work gloves, and a respiratory protective device with FFP3 filter), they had not observed all the recommended hygiene rules and the possibility that they had been exposed to the virus could not be excluded. There have been no reports of illness in people who were potentially exposed.
Second outbreak
On 25 January, veterinary authorities were notified of another possible outbreak of avian influenza at a goose farm in Derekegyh?za, 9 km from the site of the first outbreak. The flock consisted of 6000 four week-old and 3 386 eight week-old geese. On 23 January, 6 geese died, the following day the number of deaths was 24, on 25 January ? 21, on 26 January - 289. By 27 January altogether 2 596 geese died in the outbreak, the remaining 6790 geese were culled. In addition, in order to control the outbreak, further 367 birds which were found in 4 households within 1-kilometre distance from the outbreak were also culled.
On 30 January the Hungarian national reference laboratory confirmed that the outbreak at Derekegyh?za farm was also caused by the highly pathogenic A/H5N1 virus.
In consequence of the second outbreak, the ?A? zone was modified to include the 3- and 10-kilometre zones around both outbreak sites. Since 29 January clinical examination of poultry found within the ?A? zone and laboratory testing of samples has been carried on. In one sample taken from a goose the presence of A/H5 antibodies was asserted. Although none of the 4500 geese kept at the farm where this sample was taken from displayed any symptoms, the entire flock was culled on 7 February.
Three poultry workers who were employed at the farm in Derekegyh?za were offered and accepted chemoprophylaxis. No medication was given to the 21 people brought in to assist in the culling of birds, because they had used protective equipment correctly and it was highly likely that they had not been exposed to infection. They are, however, being monitored and there are no reports of illness so far. There will also be a serological follow-up of all people who were potentially exposed during these outbreaks. [3] Acknowledgements:
Dr ?gnes Csoh?n, Head of Department of Epidemiology, National Centre for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.


References:

1. The outbreak description is based on the detailed outbreak chronology provided by the Hungarian National Animal Health Protection Institute (Orsz?gos ?llateg?szs?g?gyi Int?zet): http://sgicenter.oai.hu/
2. Current information on the bird flu situation in Hungary can be found on the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (F?ldmuvel?s?gyi ?s Vid?kfejleszt?si Miniszt?rium): http://www.fvm.gov.hu/
3. Orsz?gos Epidemiol?giai K?zpont. A/H5N1 mad?rinfluenza j?rv?ny egy Csongr?d megyei teny?szl?d ?llom?nyban. Epinfo 2007; 4:25-27. http://www.oek.hu/

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2007/070215.asp#3