Re: Eastern Germany: Suspicion of H5N1 in dead swans
AVIAN INFLUENZA (112): GERMANY (SAXONY), WILD BIRDS
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A ProMED-mail post
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http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 26 June 2007
Source: DPA via expatica.com [edited]
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http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=41291>
Bird flu found in second German state
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A summer outbreak of bird flu in Germany was confirmed on Tuesday [26 Jun
2007] to have spread to a second state, with 3 swans killed by the deadly
form of avian influenza in a small town close to Leipzig. At the end of
last week, 6 swans killed by the virus were found in a turgid urban pond in
Nuremberg in the state of Bavaria.
The health ministry in Saxony state in Germany's east said 3 dead swans
were found in the Frohburg district, south of Leipzig, and a quick test
established they were infected with the dangerous H5N1 virus. Saxony state
had to exterminate a flock of farm birds last year after they caught H5N1.
More tissue tests are being done at Germany's federal animal-disease
laboratory on the Baltic Sea island of Riems.
In Nuremberg, a municipal spokeswoman said none of the other [how many?
since when? - Mod.AS] dead birds in the city apart from the 6 swans had H5N1.
Scientists on Riems are trying to establish if the virus is connected to
outbreaks of avian influenza at a Czech poultry farm and in Hungary. The
disease has not been detected in Germany between August 2006 and its
appearance late last week in Nuremberg.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The distance between Leipzig and Nurnberg exceeds 200 km [124 miles].
Confirmation from the OIE reference laboratory in Riems is anticipated, as
well as molecular data on the interrelationship between the recent isolates
from Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, England (as well as the recent
Siberian isolates from wild duck?!). - Mod.AS]