China Warns of Future BF Poultry Outbreaks

[sharon sanders]

<table style="direction: ltr;" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>China Warns of Possible Winter, Spring Bird Flu Outbreak</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> By VOA News
11 December 2007
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</td></tr></tbody></table>Chinese authorities are warning of a "very high" possibility of outbreaks of bird flu over the next several months as health officials hunt for clues how a father and son became infected with the virus.
Vice Agriculture Minister Yin Chengjie was quoted as saying Tuesday he is not optimistic about winter and spring months when the virus is at its most contagious.
Yin said it is critical to improve methods of poultry breeding, slaughter, delivery and processing in the country.
Meanwhile, Chinese health officials are trying to determine how a Chinese man from eastern Jiangsu province, whose son died from bird flu December 2, also contracted the virus. No bird flu outbreak has been reported among the province's wild birds or poultry.
The case is raising concerns of possible human to human transmission.
Scientists have been concerned the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus could change into a form easily passed among humans, sparking a pandemic.
The World Health Organization reports there have been at least 26 human cases of avian flu confirmed in China in recent years, 17 of them fatal.
Bird flu outbreaks were reported last month in Hong Kong, South Korea and Burma.
The WHO says more than 200 people have died of bird flu worldwide since the first outbreak in 2003.



http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-11-voa5.cfm

 

[aNewDawn]

China sends out bird flu alert

China sends out bird flu alert

(If CHINA is finally admitting to being worried ... )



China sends out bird flu alert (Dec. 11,'07)

China has warned of a "very high" possibility of outbreaks of bird flu over winter and spring.

State media says the warning comes as health officials search for clues in the rare case of two families being affected.

A 24-year-old man from eastern Jiangsu province died last week of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the first case in China since June. His 52-year-old father was also diagnosed with the disease, raising questions about how the man was infected.

China's agriculture ministry says it is "not optimistic" about winter and spring, when the virus is at its most contagious.

Officials in Beijing have now confirmed 27 human infections of bird flu, with 17 deaths. Experts fear the virus could mutate into a strain that jumps easily from person to person.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s2115701.htm<!-- PRINT_CONTENT_END -->

 

[aNewDawn]

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

[SIZE=+2]China Pessimistic about Bird Flu Outbreaks[/SIZE]
Written by: Amy Hillard. 10-Dec-2007

[SIZE=-1]Experts in China worry about the rising number of cases of patients with the Bird Flu.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]According to Reuters News, a 24-year-old man from eastern Jiangsu province died last week of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, in China?s first case since June. However, late last week, the man?s 52-year-old father was also diagnosed with the strain of the illness.Experts are continuing the search for the link between the son and father, worrying about the possible evolving contagiousness of it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Vice Minister of Agriculture Yin Chengjie called on local authorities to step up immunization efforts and testing of birds at border areas and local wetlands in an effort to contain the virus. However, the agriculture ministry remains pessimistic about winter and spring, when supposedly the disease is most transmittable. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]China has had a total of 27 human infections of bird flu, which resulted in 17 deaths. Researchers of the virus fear that the germ will mutate into a strain that is able to spread quickly from person to person. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/12604.html[/SIZE]

 

[aNewDawn]

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

Here's my question: Since China has always downplayed reports of BF in their country (a "no problem here" attitude), are these very "pessimistic" statements from them right now a sign that things are really bad there, and we need to be very, very concerned?? ...OR is there a political change to be more open and honest in their reporting??? (Somehow, I'd have trouble buying that one )

I'd appreciate your opinions on this. It just grabs me as a bad omen. Thanks...
Dawn


http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-11-voa5.cfm
<TABLE style="DIRECTION: ltr" width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>China Warns of Possible Winter, Spring Bird Flu Outbreak</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>By VOA News 11 December 2007</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE style="DIRECTION: ltr" width=200 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=imagecaption></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Chinese authorities are warning of a "very high" possibility of outbreaks of bird flu over the next several months as health officials hunt for clues how a father and son became infected with the virus.

Vice Agriculture Minister Yin Chengjie was quoted as saying Tuesday he is not optimistic about winter and spring months when the virus is at its most contagious. Yin said it is critical to improve methods of poultry breeding, slaughter, delivery and processing in the country.

Meanwhile, Chinese health officials are trying to determine how a Chinese man from eastern Jiangsu province, whose son died from bird flu December 2, also contracted the virus. No bird flu outbreak has been reported among the province's wild birds or poultry. The case is raising concerns of possible human to human transmission.

Scientists have been concerned the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus could change into a form easily passed among humans, sparking a pandemic. The World Health Organization reports there have been at least 26 human cases of avian flu confirmed in China in recent years, 17 of them fatal. Bird flu outbreaks were reported last month in Hong Kong, South Korea and Burma.

 

[cartski]

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

Re: China sends out bird flu alert

Here's my question: Since China has always downplayed reports of BF in their country (a "no problem here" attitude), are these very "pessimistic" statements from them right now a sign that things are really bad there, and we need to be very, very concerned?? ...OR is there a political change to be more open and honest in their reporting??? (Somehow, I'd have trouble buying that one )

I'd appreciate your opinions on this. It just grabs me as a bad omen. Thanks...
Dawn

Good point. A common communications practice is to prepare the audience for the seriously bad news to follow. It's a manner of shifting away from an over-reassuring position:

"Even if over-reassurance worked (which it doesn?t) it is important to remember that an over-reassured public isn?t your goal. You want people to be concerned, vigilant ? even hypervigilant, at least at first. You want accurate, calm concern. Over-reassurance is not the way to get that."

in Sandman's excellent collection on communication strategies:

http://www.psandman.com/col/part1.htm#1

J.