China willing to share animal disease info

[AlaskaDenise]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-22 18:43[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BANGKOK -- China is ready to share information and experience with the international community on animal disease surveillance and control regarding either bird flu or the blue ear pig disease, an official of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

FAO animal health expert Vincent Martin said in an interview with Xinhua on Friday that he did not agree with some Western media reports, which suggested the Chinese government was reluctant to report PRRS outbreaks and unwilling to share information on the disease, found so far in China and Vietnam, with the international community.

Martin is here to attend a two-day FAO emergency workshop opening Monday on the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), more commonly known as the blue ear pig disease.

Martin, now based in Beijing as an FAO technological coordinator, said the FAO is "very satisfied" with all the collaboration that the Chinese government has provided on disease control.

He said that from the very beginning in the summer of 2006 when China first detected in some provinces an outbreak of PRRS, the World Organization for Animal Health and the FAO have been kept informed by the Chinese government on the progress of the disease.

In 2007, Chinese scientists found it was a mutated, highly pathogenic form of the PRRS virus that had infected the pigs, and China submitted a timely report of the finding to the OIE and the FAO, Martin said.

"The Chinese government is doing their best," he said.

Martin and his colleagues in Beijing had earlier in the month visited Sichuan province and the nearby city of Chongqing in western China, which were among the most infected areas.

"From what I've seen there, the epidemic seemed to be receding across the country, and the situation is much better now," he said.

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The FAO has recommended the Chinese government organize an regional or international experts mission by the end of the year to inspect all infected regions in China to have a more thorough evaluation of the situation and a workshop on national or regional-level be held to work out further strategies to combat the disease.

China has welcomed these recommendations, saying that it is ready to invite international experts for any further inspection or discussion on the issue, according to Martin.

Another recommendation suggests China send virus tissue samples to international laboratories for analysis. An agreement on the issue is being worked on between the Chinese government and the FAO, Martin said.

The agreement was needed to address in which circumstances and in what way the samples could be used and to define related property rights issues.

A recent report by The Washington Post suggested the agreement shows China is reluctant to share data on the virus out of concerns about commercial benefits.

"Personally, I don't support such theories. I never felt that (China's reluctance to share information with the international community)," said Martin.

"It is totally normal practice. When you talk about sharing of virus or anything, you need to sign an agreement or contract to define the receptive and sender countries and ownership issues," Martin said.

"My own experience in China shows that China is very very willing to share knowledge, information and experience in control and surveillance of disease," he said.

The Bangkok workshop will gather veterinary officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to discuss the current situation of the PRRS in the region and draft an emergency and preparedness plan for the disease.

So far, "The disease remains an animal disease. It does not infect humans. We've seen many animal disease," said Martin. "We need to be serious with it because there could be possible economic consequences."

"We're concerned for the farmers, who are losing their income. That's what FAO and China are now collaborating to do ... We want to avoid these losses," he added.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/22/content_6126934.htm
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[FrenchieGirl]

Re: China willing to share animal disease info

If China is so willing to share information, how come this article, about the bird flu in ducks in Panyu, says exactly the contrary. I'm posting the whole article as it contains interesting information, not just the fact that they want secrecy about what is happening. I took out the Chinese parts for ease of readability.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnfol.com%2F070922%2F101%2C1277%2C3372865%2C00.shtml&langpair=zh%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8

Si-xian village doubt avian flu: the disease come from

A sudden outbreak of the avian flu epidemic in Guangzhou Panyu District Si-xian village outside the focus of attention. September 5, the village has made nearly 10,000 ducks incidence and death. Up to now, local village has been culled within three kilometers around 100,000 poultry keeper.

Currently, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory is the duck samples for the disease detection, virus mutation and whether it will spread to humans is not yet known. In recent years, China has several deaths caused by bird flu incident.

While the epidemic prevention work this winter and next spring's suddenly heating up. Guangdong has started early autumn vaccination, and with the corresponding information in a timely notification. At present, Hong Kong has abolished the importation of live birds from affected areas, products and the cancellation of the increase in imports of live chickens from the Mainland arrangements.

Si-xian quiet village

On September 18 afternoon, this reporter went to the epidemic in the new town of Panyu District, Guangzhou Si-xian village. The police have been guarding the entrance of the village, a local reporter in the village led.

Quiet village, disinfection by the thick lime everywhere village's main road, when the wind from the violent suppression. Intensive farms in the northeast corner of the village, the sound no longer duck Wong, a unit of reservoirs, duck shed in seeing a duck.

ATV Whitty, the epidemic is one of the victims. On the 10th of this month, he found that their own farms in several ducks incidence. "(Ducks) a shrink, kept shaking his head." He said.

This situation was not brought [immediately?] to his attention, but the next three or four days, he owned more than 800 ducks were killed.

According to the briefing, September 5 that the village has been found duck farms incidence. On the 6th, a large-scale farms a dead duck. As of the 17th, there were nine confirmed that the ducks killed nearly 10,000 farms.

The incident occurred six future September 12, local veterinary quarantine stations and new town only learned of the situation and report. On the 13th night, Guangdong Province ADPMA received by the news the next day that sent people dead ducks and collecting water samples. That night, the night the staff will be diagnosed burying the dead duck pull detection.

As news of the epidemic was only a few slow to grasp this new town for visits to veterinary quarantine stations and the new town government and the other leaders are said not, inconvenience in an interview.

Departments involved in before, some dead duck was diagnosed with a plastic bag or loaded into the nearby river, some were diagnosed buried. "Dead duck thing often, which at that time was aware of the avian flu!" An ATV told reporters.

Guangdong received delivery of samples, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory were tested. September 17, the Ministry of Agriculture issued confirmed that the disease was confirmed as H5N1 subtype of avian flu.

Day, Guangdong decided to outbreaks 3 million ducks and the surrounding area about 3 km 100,000 poultry to be culled. The next day, around outbreaks within a radius of 13 km of all poultry markets and farm goods (meat) market, stop running and poultry products.

Hong Kong also on the same day announced an immediate ban on the importation of new areas surrounding the town 24 km radius of the farm of live birds, day-old chickens, for a period of 21 days. Meanwhile, the Mid-Autumn Festival canceled after increased importation of live chickens from the Mainland to 70,000 arrangements.

Whitty, and the village of Si-xian other ATV is also being asked to remove farms, who had also received blood testing. According to an announcement, as at present, it was not found by the bird flu virus. [in humans?]

Although the government had already issued the relevant subsidies, but still surprised that Mr. Whitty: "Ducks are played vaccine, why would die?"

"Vaccine no problem"

According to the briefing, Mr. Whitty, diagnosed after the injection for the ducks are developed by the Harbin Veterinary Institute of bird flu vaccine.

Because the vaccine is inactivated vaccine will kill the virus has been implanted in a poultry vaccination, it is diagnosed or suspected that the vaccine itself is a certain toxicity.

Guangzhou City ADPMA Founder director of this to be just that. He said that the village of Si-xian total of 20 farms, the incidence of which only nine farms. This nine farms in the vicinity of asylum meters away, the only other farms, also received the Harbin Veterinary Institute of vaccine, but detected through sampling, these farms ducks virus antibody negative, not incidence.

"Vaccine No problem!" Guangdong ADPMA director of the East I have this right, I also Guangdong bird flu prevention and control leader of the expert team.

Eastbound I told our industry, through the village of Si-xian incidence of protocol farms to investigate and found the incidence of these ducks are the first vaccination, and vaccination less than 10 days after the onset, the antibody had not produced on the incidence.

According to the briefing, the general duck shot after 21 days to produce antibodies. The incidence of nine places duck ducks are mostly dependent) under 30 days in Little Duck, Duck long shot to 10-20 days, it is normal immune procedures.

"The virus early, the vaccine is not the reason." I said that the East. He also said that the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the vaccine is the best country.

That appeared to confirm the view of the experts. Si-xian Village bird flu, local emergency start bird flu prevention and control plans for all poultry Guangzhou City emergency compulsory immunization, but has not discovered any signs of bird flu. [again, in humans?]

Why only part of the village of Si-xian farms himself? "Incidence is certainly farms invaded by the virus, but the virus does not come from the current set," is now just said, "We now have an idea, reported to the relevant departments, but we also should not be released to the outside world."

The view was expressed that the avian flu epidemic every once in the recombinant virus may arise, toxicity increase. The infectious disease experts here have disclosed to the media, in the past most of the chickens infected with avian flu viruses, spam is not often ducks incidence. The Guangzhou nearly 10,000 ducks infected with the avian virus rare that the bird flu virus is likely to mutate.

Founder and I just East this industry that are not yet found a mutation of avian flu virus, but final results have to wait for the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory tests be determined after.

Variation doubts

In recent days, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory director Chen Lan is leading her team to Guangzhou transmitted virus samples for detecting gene sequence.

Mainland China is the only laboratory of the bird flu virus to eventually virus isolation and identification of bodies. Guangzhou's epidemic of bird flu virus mutation, they will be found.

On September 18, Chen Lan accept foreign interview that the existing testing information was found vaccine strain variations or failure. But she also said that there were not fully detect the virus gene sequence.

I just Founder East and industry also is awaiting the conclusion of the laboratory. On this newspaper that the current situation of view, the estimated probability little variation, but if variation on "the difficult."

In general, winter and spring is the avian flu, including high incidence of the disease, and the avian flu epidemic in Guangzhou in the autumn already large scope, from the parties concerned.

On the 27th of this month, will be held in Guangdong province prevention meeting, "more specific layout of the immunization efforts." I said the East. Earlier, in the province of Guangdong has issued a document within the framework of calling for strengthening the immunization.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture will also send 12 inspectors and experts groups, the inspectors were dispatched to various parts of the country avian flu prevention and control work.

At this critical juncture, the Guangzhou in the avian flu virus mutates, it will directly affect the next prevention and control measures.

Meanwhile, despite the Guangdong Provincial Health Department publicly announced that it found no human infection of bird flu virus. But I industry, said that the avian influenza virus will spread the human body, "not to say."

According to statistics, since 2003, the avian flu epidemic in the world caused more than 200 deaths have occurred in China in recent years several people died of bird flu cases.

Mr. Si-xian, the enemy villagers, while the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, but "chickens, ducks and geese is certainly not eating."

Source: Economic Observer reported net

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: China willing to share animal disease info

The article about Sixian references lots of internal communication problems, just like many other countries. The FAO article refers to the improved international releases - which China has clearly improved over the last few years.

I don't know if there is any nation whose locally affected areas promptly release their BF infections data .....maybe Indonesia, Vietnam, & Thailand.

During the 2+ years I've been following this situation, I've read about China increasingly releasing sequences.

The records of the US and Canada also have room for improvement.

.