Suspected bird-flu carrier alarms Sorsogon officials

[yielddude]

Suspected bird-flu carrier alarms Sorsogon officials

Article posted February 10, 2007 - 11:59 PM
SORSOGON CITY - The Provincial Veterinary Office has alerted local officials to be on the look-out for possible avian-flu infected birds that might land in their area, an official said Saturday.

The alert was raised following the discovery of a heron, which had tags that indicated that it came from Japan.

Dr. Enrique Espiritu, provincial veterinarian, said the bird was found by a farmer in the town of Preito-diaz that was being frequented by migratory birds for its vast mangrove forest. The town was included in the bird-flu watch list.

Espiritu said herons, being wild, are normally difficult to capture.

He said that the bird was very weak and exhibited symptoms of being ill when found by the farmer who turned it over to Mayor Benito Doma. Doma ordered the immediate disposal of the bird.

Espiritu said Doma should have detached the tags from the bird before it was buried as it could have helped them determine the background of the animal.

Alarmed by the incident, Gov. Raul Lee called for a meeting of all municipal mayors and health officials in the province on Tuesday to discuss proper monitoring activities to prevent entry of suspected bird-flu carriers.

Lee said a bird-flu task force had already been created and that they would be immediately mobilized to prevent the entry of the killer flu.

Meanwhile, a team from the World Health Organization is expected to visit Prieto-diaz to check on the report. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/30129/Suspected-bird-flu-carrier-alarms-Sorsogon-officials#

 

[Theresa42]

Re: Suspected bird-flu carrier alarms Sorsogon officials

babelfished from Spanish:

The Philippines investigate possible case of bird influenza in dead heron
Feb 13, 2007

The Philippine authorities will investigate the cause of the death of a heron in the region of Bicol, to the east of the capital, to discard that it can be the first case of bird influenza in the Philippines, country that until the moment have stayed out of danger of the virus, informed the local press today.

The bird was buried by a farmer who found dead near the town of Sorsogon, according to the newspaper 'The Philippine Star', that he indicated that the Office of Industry Animal (OIA) has sent an equipment of experts to the zone to carry out the autopsy and to determine the cause of the death.

Divinio Catbagan, director of the OIA, wanted to tranquilize the population assuring that 'there are many possible causes of the death and it necessarily does not have to be the influenza aviar'.

In spite of the cases registered in neighboring countries, Philippine one has stayed out of danger at the moment of the deadly virus H5N1, that has infected in the archipelago neither to birds nor to people.

http://actualidad.terra.es/sociedad/articulo/filipinas_investiga_caso_gripe_aviar_1389208.htm

 

[yielddude]

Re: Suspected bird-flu carrier alarms Sorsogon officials

Bird's death in Sorsogon probed for avian virus link
02/13/2007 | 11:01 AM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said it was looking into reports that a migratory bird found dead in Sorsogon province could have died of bird flu, the dreaded avian disease now wreaking havoc in neighboring countries.

Doctor Eric Tayag, chief of the DOH-National Epidemiology Center, said health officials learned of the death of a heron after conducting a heightened information drive among local folk.

Part of the information campaign, Tayag said, asked residents to report any "suspicious deaths" of fowl and other birds. The heron, a migratory bird, was found dead at an undisclosed field.

"Birds really die there, but what's important now is that agriculture officials know that we at the DOH are waiting for the results of their investigation on the matter," Tayag said in Filipino during an interview on dzBB radio.

He noted that in other Asian countries coping with the avian influenza, the carriers of the virus appear healthy but the other birds who eventually contract the disease are the ones that die.

"We (Health officials) will take swift action once we learn of any indication that we should be alarmed," Tayag assured.

In a separate interview with GMA News, Tayag said the investigation requires close coordination with other government agencies.

"The Agriculture Department, the Bureau of Animal Industry, will send a team [to Sorsogon]. Because that was a migratory bird, we will need the assistance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. We will act accordingly based on their assessment of the situation," Tayag said in Filipino.

The Philippines, Singapore and Brunei are the only remaining "bird flu-free countries in Southeast Asia," the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported last February 4.

The DA has imposed an importation ban against poultry and live birds from Japan in the wake a bird flu scare in the region.

In a statement, the DA said that it "has temporarily banned imports of live birds along with poultry and its products from Japan following official reports on the presence of the avian influenza (AI) or bird flu virus in that country."

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said that, "There is a possibility that travelers may bring in pet birds, poultry and poultry products from Japan ... Thus, I have ordered DA quarantine officers and inspectors at all major airports and seaports to stop and confiscate all shipments of poultry and poultry products into the country originating from Japan." - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/30400/Birds-death-in-Sorsogon-probed-for-avian-virus-link