Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/04/news-scan-apr-25-2019
News Scan for Apr 25, 2019
Saudi MERS case; Low-path avian flu in California
Filed Under:
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); MERS-CoV
[h=3]New case of MERS recorded in Saudi Arabia[/h] The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) today recorded a new case of MERS-CoV in Medina in an epidemiologic week 17 update.
A 76-year-old man from Medina was diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The man's case is listed as "primary," meaning he likely did not contract the disease from someone else, and he had recent contact with camels.
The case raises Saudi Arabia's MERS-CoV total for the year to 135 cases, including 61 linked to a large outbreak in Wadi ad-Dawasir.
Apr 25 MOH report
[h=3]Low-path H5 outbreak reported at California duck farm[/h] Routine surveillance testing at a commercial duck breeding facility in California's Monterey County has detected low-pathogenic H5 avian flu, according to a notification yesterday from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The ducks haven't shown any clinical signs or increased mortality, and surveillance tests were done on Apr 15. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are conducting an epidemiologic investigation and have stepped up surveillance and testing as a result of the recent findings, including at two poultry facilities related to the duck farm.
Partial genetic sequencing tests on the hemagglutinin of the virus suggest that it is a low-pathogenic virus related the North American wild bird lineage. Further genetic tests are pending virus recovery.
The United States had three low-pathogenic avian flu outbreaks in 2018, which included H7N3 in California, H7N1 in Missouri and Texas, and H5N2 in Minnesota.
Apr 24 OIE report on low-path H5 in California
In other avian flu developments, Israel's agriculture ministry reported a highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Hazafon in the north central part of the country, according to a separate report from the OIE.
The outbreak began on Apr 20, killing 200 of 13,500 birds. The survivors were culled to curb the spread of the virus. An investigation suggests the source is contact with wild species, given that the country is on the migration route of wild birds coming from Africa to Europe. The farm is in an aquaculture area that attracts migratory birds.
Elsewhere, the Dominican Republic recently reported seven low-pathogenic H5N2 outbreaks, five on poultry farms and two in backyard birds. The outbreaks began between Dec 30, 2018, and Jan 22. Taken together, the events killed 2,887 of 178,601 susceptible poultry, which included Israeli chicks, layers, and other backyard poultry.
Apr 25 OIE report on H5N8 in Israel
Apr 22 OIE report on low-path H5N2 in the Dominican Republic
News Scan for Apr 25, 2019
Saudi MERS case; Low-path avian flu in California
Filed Under:
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); MERS-CoV
[h=3]New case of MERS recorded in Saudi Arabia[/h] The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) today recorded a new case of MERS-CoV in Medina in an epidemiologic week 17 update.
A 76-year-old man from Medina was diagnosed as having MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The man's case is listed as "primary," meaning he likely did not contract the disease from someone else, and he had recent contact with camels.
The case raises Saudi Arabia's MERS-CoV total for the year to 135 cases, including 61 linked to a large outbreak in Wadi ad-Dawasir.
Apr 25 MOH report
[h=3]Low-path H5 outbreak reported at California duck farm[/h] Routine surveillance testing at a commercial duck breeding facility in California's Monterey County has detected low-pathogenic H5 avian flu, according to a notification yesterday from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The ducks haven't shown any clinical signs or increased mortality, and surveillance tests were done on Apr 15. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are conducting an epidemiologic investigation and have stepped up surveillance and testing as a result of the recent findings, including at two poultry facilities related to the duck farm.
Partial genetic sequencing tests on the hemagglutinin of the virus suggest that it is a low-pathogenic virus related the North American wild bird lineage. Further genetic tests are pending virus recovery.
The United States had three low-pathogenic avian flu outbreaks in 2018, which included H7N3 in California, H7N1 in Missouri and Texas, and H5N2 in Minnesota.
Apr 24 OIE report on low-path H5 in California
In other avian flu developments, Israel's agriculture ministry reported a highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Hazafon in the north central part of the country, according to a separate report from the OIE.
The outbreak began on Apr 20, killing 200 of 13,500 birds. The survivors were culled to curb the spread of the virus. An investigation suggests the source is contact with wild species, given that the country is on the migration route of wild birds coming from Africa to Europe. The farm is in an aquaculture area that attracts migratory birds.
Elsewhere, the Dominican Republic recently reported seven low-pathogenic H5N2 outbreaks, five on poultry farms and two in backyard birds. The outbreaks began between Dec 30, 2018, and Jan 22. Taken together, the events killed 2,887 of 178,601 susceptible poultry, which included Israeli chicks, layers, and other backyard poultry.
Apr 25 OIE report on H5N8 in Israel
Apr 22 OIE report on low-path H5N2 in the Dominican Republic