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Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
Re: Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
I'm personally convinced that the initial spread to an area is usually from wild birds, with other methods adding to the whole mess.
However, is Qinghai-like material in any vaccinations, which could account for spread via fecal matter from asymptomatic vaccinated carriers?
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Re: Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
I, personally, am absolutely certain that H5N1 is present in wild birds, and spread by wild birds. H5N1 could possibly be spread by a lot of other living things as well, as in the insect kingdom.
BUT, I do not think humans can CATCH H5N1 from a wild bird.
These nonsense stories that wild birds do not carry H5N1 appear with regularity.
I believe they are intended to keep certain individuals from machine gunning the skies and panicking whenever they see a bird.
Funding and testing for H5N1 presence has been extremely limited.
I am starting to worry that H5N1 can be found wherever and whenever it is looked for worldwide.
We have not had the capacity or ability to test appropriately for H5N1. This problem needs to be solved.
There must also be some "double testing" in separate labs to verify, account, and report H5N1 lab results appropriately and as transparently as possible.
I, personally, am absolutely certain that H5N1 is present in wild birds, and spread by wild birds. H5N1 could possibly be spread by a lot of other living things as well, as in the insect kingdom.
BUT, I do not think humans can CATCH H5N1 from a wild bird.
How about Azerbaijan in early 2006? See excerpt from report below:
"Close contact with and de-feathering of infected wild swans was considered to be the most plausible source of exposure to influenza A/H5N1 virus in the Salyan cluster, although difficulties in eliciting information were encountered during the investigation, because of the illegality of some of the activities that might have led to the exposures (hunting and trading in wild birds and their products). These cases constitute the first outbreak worldwide where wild birds were the most likely source of influenza A/H5N1 virus infection in humans."
I would consider de-feathering and/or dressing/gutting a wild bird to be a VERY risky activity.
It would seem possible that H5N1 could be transmitted from the bird's blood, or parasites on the bird----if you had a cut on your hands and no gloves.
(I do not think you could get a cluster of human cases though.)
TO DATE----I do NOT think you can CATCH H5N1 from a wild
bird-----from stepping in or cleaning up bird poop, for instance.
Just think, if bird poop could transmit H5N1---half the world would be infected by now.
Bird poop is encountered very frequently in the daily life of most people.
Bird poop is everywhere.
bird poop may just only infect in rare cases.
You touch bird poop and then eat something with the hands.
Or it dries to dust and you breath it.
Maybe only genetically suspect people can get it. Maybe the initial
load has to be particularly high, else the immune system can handle
the situation and kill the invaders.
Or some other circumstances must be fullfilled, PH-value,temperature
of airways, presence or absence of nutritients or vitamins ,...,
When you get it through the mouth, it must either somehow
infect mouth-mucosa or teeth or go into the airways
by mouthbreathing or must be particularly lucky to survive
stomach acid in some small bone-hole or such.
TO DATE----I do NOT think you can CATCH H5N1 from a wild
bird-----from stepping in or cleaning up bird poop, for instance.
As I recall there is a fairly recent study of those persons that routinely survey avian influenza in wild bird populations in North America. Analysis of their blood serum indicated antigens for almost every type of avian virus on the books. Now none of these workers showed any symptoms, including conjuctivitus, so no big deal. But it goes to show that in general if you are in close contact with sick animals, you may also be infected.
I will endeavor as time permits to locate this research.
Re: Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
Here is the conclusion from a small research study limited to the state of Iowa:
"The relative lack of antibody response in our study population, who had substantial exposures to waterfowl with influenza A infections, and in inoculated volunteers from Beare and Webster (12) suggests that avian influenza infections in humans exposed to wild waterfowl may occur more commonly than we are able to detect with current methods. Although the sample size of our study was relatively small, our results suggest that handling wild waterfowl, especially ducks, is a risk factor for direct transmission of avian influenza virus to humans."
Bird Flu Meeting Brings World?s Top Influenza and Waterfowl Authorities to the Table
Memphis, October 6, 2006 - Officials from Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) met today with Robert Webster, PhD, at St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital to discuss the latest developments in bird flu research. Webster is a world-renowned flu expert and professor of virology.
?The purpose of this summit was to talk about the current state of knowledge regarding bird flu and the implications for waterfowl hunters, the general public and habitat conservation,? said Ducks Unlimited Executive Vice President Don Young.
?Dr. Webster is the world?s leading bird flu authority,? Young continued. ?DU is the world?s largest waterfowl conservation group. And the Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting some of the first comprehensive sampling for the flu of its kind. It only makes sense to get the three groups together to discuss where we are and what we know about this virus.?
In addition to his position at St. Jude, Dr. Webster is a consultant to both the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and is the Director of the U.S. Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization dealing with the ecology of animal influenza viruses.
Several key points emerged from the meeting. Most important is the virus hasn?t been found in the Americas.
?There is none of this virus in this part of the world,? Dr. Webster said. ?Without the virus in this hemisphere, standard practice of good hygiene is all you need to do.?
Dr. Webster says waterfowl hunters aren?t at risk, but they need to stay informed.
?There are no additional risks this year involved with hunting,? Dr. Webster said. ?Hunters should simply be aware that something is going on in other parts of the world, and stay informed.?
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall provided an update on its monitoring efforts regarding the virus. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees migratory bird laws, and sets the season framework for waterfowl hunting seasons in the U.S.
?We?ve sampled almost 15,000 birds, and through the remainder of the hunting season we will continue those efforts,? Hall said. ?We expect to sample between 50,000 and 70,000 birds. So far, we have found no highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.?
Hall says some low pathogenic H5N1 flu has shown up, but that is normal.
Dr. Webster agreed, saying that the low pathogenic H5N1 strain is not uncommon in waterfowl, and does not cause illness in humans.
?People have got to understand that it?s out there, and will likely show up throughout the season,? he said. ?The public should not be worried when that happens.
?At this time, I see no risk to hunters at all,? Dr. Webster added.
According to Dr. Webster, surveying and sampling for avian influenza has never been done so extensively as it is now.
?These guys (FWS and DU) are doing what they need to do,? Dr. Webster said. ?So I?d tell hunters to continue to do what you do, but stay informed. After you hunt, follow standard hygiene practices.?
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world?s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands ? nature?s most productive ecosystems ? and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.
******I am worrying more about the state of our planet. Wild birds do not worry me (I don't hunt, though.) If I hunted, I would be very hygienic to be on the safe side.
Re: Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
Right on for Dr. Webster. And here is the clincher and the basis for his statement.
?There is none of this virus in this part of the world,? Dr. Webster said. ?Without the virus in this hemisphere, standard practice of good hygiene is all you need to do.?
Now, when high path hits the US, you will see everyone scurrying for the sidelines. Only the foolish or the most carefull will be out duch or quail hunting IMHO.
Re: Study: Migratory birds not to blame for spread of avian flu
I would like to make a geographical argument that I have yet to see anywhere. The line of reasoning H5N1 infections are found along railway lines and roads so they must be therefore be the cause may be flawed. Roads, and even more importantly railways, are built where they are easiest to construct. Trains virtually never climb a slope of greater than 3%. Both would choose a path that was as level as possible for economic reasons. They frequently are built beside rivers both because towns are very often built along waterways and because river scouring has already made the surrounding area flatter. A wild bird, especially a waterfowl, would take advantage of both rivers and passes as demanding less fuel to make the journey from winter feeding to summer breeding. The paths may be partly coincidental not causal.
Please do not ask me for medical advice, I am not a medical doctor.
Avatar is a painting by Alan Pollack, titled, "Plague". I'm sure it was an accident that the plague girl happened to look almost like my twin.
Thank you,
Shannon Bennett
I would like to make a geographical argument that I have yet to see anywhere. The line of reasoning H5N1 infections are found along railway lines and roads so they must be therefore be the cause may be flawed. Roads, and even more importantly railways, are built where they are easiest to construct. Trains virtually never climb a slope of greater than 3%. Both would choose a path that was as level as possible for economic reasons. They frequently are built beside rivers both because towns are very often built along waterways and because river scouring has already made the surrounding area flatter. A wild bird, especially a waterfowl, would take advantage of both rivers and passes as demanding less fuel to make the journey from winter feeding to summer breeding. The paths may be partly coincidental not causal.
There is no coincidence, H5N1 Qinghai goes from nature reserve to nature reserve, including remote Erhel Lake in Mongolia.
The coicidence with roads or railways is a fairy tale that is usually accompanied by a great deal of hand waving. The roads and rail lines existed prior to Qinghai Lake, but there was no H5N1 west of China prior to the May, 2005 outbreak.
I would like to make a geographical argument that I have yet to see anywhere. The line of reasoning H5N1 infections are found along railway lines and roads so they must be therefore be the cause may be flawed. Roads, and even more importantly railways, are built where they are easiest to construct. Trains virtually never climb a slope of greater than 3%. Both would choose a path that was as level as possible for economic reasons. They frequently are built beside rivers both because towns are very often built along waterways and because river scouring has already made the surrounding area flatter. A wild bird, especially a waterfowl, would take advantage of both rivers and passes as demanding less fuel to make the journey from winter feeding to summer breeding. The paths may be partly coincidental not causal.
Your argument underscores the difficulty with which the "blame" for transmission can be laid, if ther are overlaps in routes. In the case of waterfowl, they are strong fliers that do take advantage of landscape features but are able to fly in a fairly direct manner to where they are going (e.g. Bar-headed Geese, known to fly over the Himalaya, have been seen at altitudes above 22K feet!). So while there may be some overlap in routes, it is probably much less than you might think.
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