Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

[sharon sanders]

Re: Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

German chicken test positive for H5N1 flu strain
26 Dec 2007 12:14:37 GMT
<!-- 26 Dec 2007 12:14:37 GMT ## for search indexer, do not remove --> Source: Reuters

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<script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.alertnet.org/bin/js/article.js"></script> <input value="13" name="CurrentSize" id="CurrentSize" type="hidden"> <!-- German chicken test positive for H5N1 flu strain --> <!-- Reuters --> BERLIN, Dec 26 (Reuters) - A third case of a chicken testing positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in the northeast German state of Brandenburg was confirmed by state authorities on Wednesday. A police spokesman in Neuruppin, north of Berlin, confirmed that a chicken on a small farm in the town of Blumenthal in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district had tested positive for the virus. All 31 birds in the village were culled. It was the third case in 10 days in Brandenburg, a rural state that surrounds Berlin and is on the border with Poland. There have been eight cases of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Poland this month. Officials in Brandenburg sealed off a protection zone with a radius of three km (two miles) and imposed a surveillance zone of 10 km radius around the area. There are 150,000 birds in the 10-km zone. Earlier this month, two chickens in the Oberhavel district further west tested positive for H5N1. Eleven birds in a small Oberhavel farm were suspected of having the virus, of which five died and two were sent for tests which proved positive, the state Agriculture Ministry said. A week ago, a separate case of bird flu was confirmed in the town of Bensdorf in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, bringing the number of bird flu cases in the state to 24. German authorities culled tens of thousands of birds after the virus was found at at two farms in Bavaria early this year. Although experts fear the H5N1 strain could spark a global pandemic and kill millions of people if it mutates, it has infected relatively few humans in its present form. Since 2003, nearly 350 people worldwide are known to have contracted the H5N1 virus, of whom more than 200 have died. (Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum, editing by Tim Pearce)

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

BERLIN (Thomson Financial) - A third outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu, which is potentially lethal to humans, was confirmed this month in Germany's Brandenburg region outside Berlin, a veterinarian official said Wednesday.
Fifteen chickens kept in a coop in Heiligengrabe-Blumenthal tested positive and were slaughtered, Matthias Rott said.
A security zone of three kilometers (1.8 miles) was put in place in keeping with European Union standards.
There have been two earlier confirmed outbreaks of avian flu in Brandenburg.
Several cases of H5N1 have been found in birds in Germany this year and the country was the scene of a widespread bird flu epidemic in 2006. The disease spread to mammals last year, infecting three cats and a marten.


http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/12/26/afx4473887.html

 

[HenryN]

Re: Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

H5N1-Virus in refuge proven/office veterinary surgeons control existence REFUGE - the first case of bird flu in the circle OPR was proven now in refuge. 35 chickens were killed. Vice office veterinarian Ralf Ralf-Peter Roffeis regarded yesterday further animals in the restricted area. More than 100 chickens, geese and ducks have themselves vice-office veterinary surgeon Roffeis and his colleague Klaus Kroschewski in the restricted area to regard yesterday. That had been imposed on Saturday of three kilometers around the bird flu outbreak place refuge. Are concerned Blumenthal, Dahlhausen, refuge and rose angles. Already on Friday family Jutta and Juergen Westphal had informed a veterinary surgeon. "four chickens lay dead in the stable", said the 61 years old woman yesterday. Since 1966 the family lives in refuge and ever several animals at one time died. "the family reacted correctly", praised vice-office veterinarian Roffeis. Because on 23 December the samples of the dead animals already brought the sad certainty that it concerns the influenza-a-virus. One day later the findings of Friedrich Loeffler Friedrich-Loeffler-Tierinstitut of the island Riems followed: "H5N1"-Virus, which can be dangerous for humans also. Ralf Ralf-Peter Roffeis had already killed all 15Huehner of the family Westphal and further 20 on a further yard on 23 December. The stables and discharge surfaces were cleaned and disinfected. "simultaneous we informed, reported the mayor" the deputy office veterinarian. However still no sign was to be seen on the antiresonant circuit on 26 December. That must probably have been because of it, meant Ralf Ralf-Peter Roffeis that holidays are. Responsibly for checkdescribe is the office for order of the municipality. "describe today completely surely are set up", said Roffeis. For it and its colleague was more important to make and visit fast all poultry owners in the restricted area. Only five humans had followed their obligation to announce altogether 17 chickens against it counted the two office veterinary surgeons yesterday on up to 100 animals. The Horster took the first proven H5N1-Fall yesterday left. "I am not scared and eat also far the eggs of my 15 chickens", said Fritz Birk. The animals are mobile and put far industriously eggs. For safety's sake it has it however equivalent on Saturday into the stable closed. The office veterinarians looked themselves also here yesterday over. "we take in a random sampling way reductions", said Ralf Ralf-Peter Roffeis. Upon the cause to the bird flu Roffeis can only speculate so far: It could be transferred during open land attitude fast times by excrement by flying over birds. Perhaps also a bird had direct contact to an infected. After the work was settled in the restricted area, office veterinarian Roffeis had still to the motorway. The police had discovered a helpless swan. "the animal had clear paralysis features", said Roffeis. To the office veterinary surgeon continued to remain nothing to kill as the dying swan with a syringe. The Kadaver is likewise examined now on bird flu. (of Dirk Klauke)
http://www.maerkischeallgemeine.de/...n_Amtstieraerzte_kontrollieren_Bestaende.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

machinetranslated

Mysterious bird flu cases

Researchers suspect virus in freezers

After H5N1 cases in Brandenburg experts looking for new transmission paths. In Pakistan, the disease from person to person has been transferred.

BY HANNA GERSMANN

BERLIN taz's tip still applies: Poultry durchbraten always good. Then there for the people when consumption of ducks, geese and chickens hardly a threat, even if the poultry infected with bird flu. The deadly H5N1 pathogen does not survive 70 degrees Celsius. Of these, the experts convinced. But since Friday gives them the bird flu worldwide new puzzle. First: If the virus from the freezer? And secondly: Jumps it now but from person to person?

The Federal Research Institute for Animal Health on the Baltic Sea island of Riems suspected that H5N1 also has frozen poultry spread. The occasion: In Brandenburg, within ten days of three bird flu cases emerged on small farms.

"And the district veterinary Martin Rott, who investigated the cases, said the animals may have eaten carelessly discarded intestines of deepfrozen goose - and did thus become infected."

Experts have spread through infected poultry from the market so far hardly discussed. The bird flu is at least hochinfektiös.

Display

So far it is primarily from animals to animals and from animals to humans. The World Health Organization surmises since Friday, however, that the virus in Pakistan, including human-to-human jump. As recently been in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, there should be a man falls ill, without something to do with poultry to have had. Experts fear a pandemic if this kind of contamination prevails.

Guenther Dettweiler, spokesman for the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, but says: "There is still no cause for particular concern." It sees the Berlin animal doctors Mohamed Hafez similar: "An avian flu in the last ten years, only 210 people worldwide have died" - malaria and yellow fever are dangerous. Hafez wants to "pursue but puzzling situation."

For years he researches to H5N1. "Firstly, we are trying to improve the diagnosis," he says. Second, scientists around the world watched the virus permanently. So the scientists reported Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in October: "We have found a change that could allow the virus in the upper airway of the people to grow."

The virus feels in the body temperature of birds most comfortable at 41 degrees. In the nose and throat of the people, originality gates for the virus, they are usually only 33 degrees. The mutation allows the virus, cooler temperatures to endure. An epidemic threatens to but not so Kawaoka - "This is further mutations necessary."

Meanwhile, researchers are looking for the following substances with which poultry can be vaccinated precaution. Already today, funds on the market. In China, Egypt, Pakistan would be "massive" vaccinated, says Hafez. Only protect the injections still not good. Hafez: "In Egypt, the first bird flu on Friday again erupted in vaccinated chickens." Farmers have always to reckon with the disease.

http://www.taz.de/1/zukunft/umwelt/...-kuehltruhen/?src=TE&cHash=aff2403e51&type=98

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Germany: H5N1 in small chicken flock in Brandenburg (Nord-East Germany)

Another horrible machine translation, feel free to correct it.

So far no H5N1 found in frozen ducks or geese.

Authorities investigate Frozen Ducks

Bird flu-infected ducks could possibly be reached in Berlin. So Frozen ducks now in markets controlled. There has been only one suspected, but the health authority advises caution in preparation for such birds.

Frozen ducks, possibly with the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 infected, could also reaches to Berlin. "We were able to duck, whose offal in Altglobsow of chicken feed, a delivery from Lower Saxony match," said the department's director of consumer protection in the Brandenburg Agricultural Ministry, G?nter H?lsig.

"The animals are delivered to the northern part of a supermarket chain has gone, possibly also to Berlin. We monitor those establishments and supermarkets from which the ducks come.

"So far, the H5N1 virus but neither remains in Altglobsow verf?tterten duck even in so-called provisioning samples of the Lower supplier or in samples from supermarkets has been found. In Brandenburg were in the last two weeks at three different locations in chickens H5N1 perishes.

After Tagesspiegel information, the private operator in all cases, the innards of frozen ducks are not properly disposed of, so that the chickens had to contact. Just yesterday confirmed the Brandenburg authorities that they have been researching the first case in an infection by Altglobsow Frozen ducks.

Because it is so far only a suspected act, it still had no warning to consumers, said H?lsig. Furthermore, the risk to people if properly preparing Frozen poultry low.

"There is no reason for increased controls in the supermarkets," said Marie-Luise Dittmar, spokeswoman for the Senate Health Authority. The fact that people eating or preparing infected could be "excluded, as long as the long-known hygienic rules."

To belong, that the raw meat never verzehre and never on the same cutting board as salad or raw food. "This is something not only protects before bird flu, but also against salmonella, for a lot of dangerous people," said the official veterinarian from the middle, Hans-Joachim Bathe-Peters.

The food inspectors verify its 7600 district businesses, including supermarkets, restaurants and large kitchens. On bird flu so far no products were tested. "When we suspect would our checks, but immediately modify and reinforce," says Bathe-Peters.

Consumer criticism that the main purpose wild birds as the cause for the transmission of avian flu and other infectious apply routes would be neglected. "In reality, no one knows exactly how the infection really is," says ornithologist Peter Petermann.

"It is macabre, when authorities now hints as to how to prepare infected poultry. Consumers have no choice but to assume that the poultry, which he buys at the supermarket, not infected with H5N1. "

Petermann therefore urges that immediate slaughter of poultry samples tested and not - as usual - only so-called provisioning samples taken. The first would be for suspected cases investigated if the other animals in the long Charge in trade or eaten.

Even more important, however, was the prophylaxis in the large poultry farms. In Bavaria, where in the summer after the occurrence of bird flu more than 100000 ducks were killed, the virus was already at least six weeks in the stock.

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Vogelgrippe;art270,2446716