Experts warn deadly bird flu could return

[Arkanoid Legent]

Bird flu experts are warning the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain could re-emerge in Thailand even though there has been little sign of it for years.

Migratory birds and pet dogs and cats could possibly transmit avian influenza from animal to human without stringent disease surveillance, Pilaipan Puthavathana, a virologist at Siriraj Hospital's department of microbiology, said yesterday.

"Nobody dares to say the virus has been wiped out here as long as our neighbouring countries continue to report bird flu cases," she said in a summary of a three-year follow up on avian flu surveillance from animals to humans in Thailand.

The country has not had a bird flu case in humans since July 2006. A total of 27 cases were confirmed with 17 deaths reported during a series of bird flu outbreaks from 2004 to 2006.

In contrast, Vietnam has confirmed 119 bird flu cases in humans to date, with 56 fatalities. The latest two cases were reported in its northern province of Bac Kan in April.

The initial epidemiological investigations showed there were sick and dead poultry in surrounding areas. The patients' families slaughtered the sick poultry to eat.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/194164/experts-warn-deadly-bird-flu-could-return

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Experts warn deadly bird flu could return

The risk of H5N1 virus outbreaks re-appear



Saturday, 04/09/2010, 03:25 (GMT 7)
Experts in Thailand has given warning of H5N1 avian influenza virus may re-appear and the outbreak in that country. Experts said that with the appearance again, this strain can be more powerful, can be transmitted from dogs and cats, birds to humans.

Bangkok Post newspaper said that from September 7-2006 far, it does not have any cases of H5N1 in humans in some countries while still neighbors. This suggests that Thailand still can recur H5N1, especially gulls often migrate from Qinghai and Xinjiang (China) to Thailand. Local authorities in China are still cases of influenza A/H5N1.

In Japan, scientists have discovered a type of H5N1 bird flu virus has changed in pigs in Indonesia and have the ability to spread from pigs to humans easily. The research team at the Institute of Medicine of the University of Tokyo fears the virus can spread from pigs to humans can be infected on a large scale without being detected.

According to scientists, avian influenza does not normally infect people. However, because pigs susceptible to both avian and human flu so it is believed that this newly discovered virus was altered in an infected pig. :tiphat:http://www.sggp.org.vn/ytesuckhoe/2010/9/236229/