H5N1

Dominican Republic (and Canada): Fighting cocks culled

It's another strain of avian flu—H5N2, not H5N1—but it's causing similar problems in the Dominican Republic. Via DR1.com, an English-language news source: Fighting cocks culled.

Authorities from the Livestock Department at the Ministry of Agriculture said that 1,000 roosters were killed yesterday after another case of bird flu was detected in La Delgada section of Villa Gonzalez.

Their owner was angered that 1,000 of his fighting cocks had been killed, when only two birds were found to have the disease.

He said that many people would lose their jobs as a result.

Representatives from the poultry sector are becoming increasingly concerned about the situation. The DR needs to stay clean of all cases of bird flu for the World Organization of Animal Health to declare the country clear of the H5N2 virus that has led Haiti, the largest buyer of Dominican eggs and chicken, to ban imports.

Meanwhile, a comparable number of fighting cocks have just been destroyed right here in the Vancouver area, according to this story from CBC News. Excerpt:

Destroying 1,270 birds seized in a Surrey, B.C., cockfighting investigation took more than a dozen SPCA officers about 13 hours, says an official from the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"The most horrific part of the warrant was having to euthanize every single one of the roosters on the property,'' said Shawn Eccles, BC SPCA chief animal prevention officer.

Eileen Dreever, a senior animal protection officer with the BC SPCA, said it was a painful experience for those who usually protect animals against cruelty.

"Each and every one of us had to justify what we were doing and why we were doing it and that was because if we didn't destroy these birds they would have died a horrible death," Dreever said Friday.

"We came across a number of birds with legs missing, eyes missing and they had puncture wounds to their bodies," she said.

"We had no choice but to destroy the birds. It angers me that all these birds had to lose their lives in the name of sports or a game."

It's a reminder that illegal trade in poultry isn't an issue just in West Bengal or Vietnam. It's everywhere, and if B2B H5N1 ever gets to North America, cockfighting will likely be one of the ways it travels.

Using the internet in a hot-zone country

Via Greater Kashmir Online, a very interesting item: Internet savvy Taj catches trainer scientists off guard! Excerpt:

The internet savvy minister for Consumer Affairs, Public Distribution and Animal Husbandry, Taj Mohi-ud-din today took a team of scientists from Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratories, Jallandhar and senior officers from J&K Animal Husbandry Department by off guard when he asked them as to how they would tackle an eventuality like an outbreak of dreaded Bird Flu outbreak in a bird sanctuary or a wetland reserve!  

After trying their best to convince the minister with various possibilities of fighting the disease in a wetland reserve, the scientists gave up when the minister told them that he had been himself keeping a watch on the developments related to the Bird Flu outbreaks across the globe by browsing the net on daily basis and asked them to work out strategies to meet such an eventuality.

He was speaking at the simple but impressive valedictory function of the 3-days training programme of master trainers in control and containment of Bird Flu.

The participants told him that there was no solution given in the Action Plan for control and containment of Bird Flu, the Bible for Bird Flu control, approved by Office International des Epizooties or OIE (World Organization of Animal Health), World Health Organization and Food & Agriculture Organization and circulated by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture GOI.

The minister referred to historical facts regarding epidemics in Kashmir and said even Raj Tarangni had some sketchy accounts of epidemics in the Valley.  

The participants presented a set of recommendations to the minister urging the government to amend Animal Disease Control Act.

As part of training the participants had a very useful interaction with the scientists from RDDL (Northern Region) Jallander and felt that the state of J&K has its own sets of problems as far as control and containment of Avian Influenza is concerned that need to be dealt with by the state government as the role of Union Government in such situations was limited as agriculture is a state subject.

The participants identified the problem areas that could impact adversely the policy and plans to check ingress of the disease and critically affect control and containment operations in an eventuality like an outbreak of the dreaded disease.

Under the Animal Disease Control Act the Veterinarians have no powers to inspect/check or take samples from feed consignments entering the state. Feed being potential source or carrier of infection is to be brought under the scanner and vets need to be empowered suitably to seize, inspect or draw samples from such consignments for analysis and testing. 

Another recommendation relates to enforcement of minimum safety /hygienic standards at whole sale and retail outlets of poultry and poultry products. The situations in areas where such shops are located are horrifying and pose a threat to human life.

It's very interesting that senior politicians are surfing the web to stay informed about H5N1. (If you're such a politician, welcome, and come back often!)

But I do wish that journalists posting reports online would be web-savvy enough to shorten their sentences and paragraphs. If you go to the original site of this excerpt, you'll find the story is a solid block of almost-unreadable text.

Bangladesh confronts H5N1 in the rural economy

Via The Daily Star, an important commentary by Muhammad Zahir: Avian flu and the rural economy. Excerpt:

I normally write about issues related to international relations, good governance, corruption and strategy. This week I felt that it was obligatory that I write about bird flu.

I am doing so because of several visits that I have undertaken over the last six weeks into the interior of our country. I had the opportunity to attend several meetings in different districts and wherever I went, one aspect was common -- economic depression and a growing sense of hopelessness.

Discussion with the village elders revealed anxiety and frustration with the steep rise in the cost of living, particularly food grains and sources of protein.

It was also very evident that hundreds of small entrepreneurs who had taken up poultry farming as a source of living had been wiped out. Many spoke of having started their enterprises with funds received from relatives working abroad. Others mentioned that they had taken out loans from banks, micro-credit agencies or informal cooperative agencies.

The ones that had obtained start up capital from remittances received from abroad appeared to be resigned to their fate. They hoped to start again, and not in the too distant future.

However, those who had secured money from financial institutions appeared to be very depressed. They spoke of a harsh future, of their inability to repay their loan after the culling of their poultry. Some remarked that they would have to take their children out of school and also sell off their remaining livestock.

There were also discussions about how they could be forced to sell off their homesteads and then migrate to an uncertain future in the cities.

I must honestly admit that I had no clue about the severity of the impact of avian flu on the rural economy. This was a hands-on experience, and definitely not a pleasant one.

Consequently, I followed with great interest the remarks made by microbiologists, physicians, small entrepreneurs and economists in a recent roundtable convened in Dhaka towards the end of February.

The Poultry Breeders Association of Bangladesh pointed out that Bangladesh's poultry industry of around Taka 10,000 crore had already sustained a loss of Taka 4,000 crore due to this ongoing scourge of bird flu. I do not know if these figures are completely correct.

What is true however is the enormity of the devastation associated with poultry farming, mostly located in the rural economy.

It is fortunate that till today, we have not had human infections from the H5N1 virus (transmitted from an infected chicken, pigeon or duck). This has taken place in China as well as in Indonesia.

However, there has been a drastic change in our dietary habit. There has been a clear decision among most people, particularly in (comparatively cash-rich) urban areas, to drop poultry and eggs from their diet.

Bird flu first appeared as a threat in Bangladesh in February 2007. It mainly affected very small 'backyard' rural poultry farmers. It was contained with some difficulty. Unfortunately, this time round, it has spread among the larger, more institutionalised poultry farms.

As a result, millions of chickens and ducks have been culled and tens of millions of eggs destroyed. By last count, it had manifested itself in 78 upazilas in 43 districts (out of a total of 64 districts).

The subsequent culling of the birds after detection of the virus in any farm has been followed strictly according to the prescription endorsed by the FAO. This has decimated poultry farms in China, Thailand and Indonesia. It has now happened in Bangladesh.

Fitri destroys Dr. Supari

Speaking as an author, I hope I never get a review like this one by Emmy Fitri in The Jakarta Post: Health Minister: Bird flu? God help us. Excerpt (but of course you'll read the whole devastating thing):

Indonesia has seen a growing number of faithful souls turning to God for solace when dealing with adversity, and one minister has reflected this (complacent) attitude in her new book.

As bird flu continues to claim lives, Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari recently published Saatnya Dunia Berubah, Tangan Tuhan dibalik Flu Burung (It's Time for the World to Change, Divine Hands behind Bird Flu).

With her book, it would seem, religious doctor Siti seeks a miracle from God, confident in the belief that her ministry has taken all possible measures to alleviate the disease.

This may sound rightfully religious especially since Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country but, if we adopt this stance, other examples of this mentality might include blaming the floods on the rain.

It's would have been God's will that oil, soybean and flour prices have skyrocketed uncontrollably -- but we all know very well how much our own shaky market depends on the global economy.

The Sidoarjo mudflow was also unmistakably God, testing people's faith, despite much evidence showing how reckless mining can lead to disaster.

These all sound familiar, right?

But let's look at the minister's book. Let's violate that old saying that wise men advocate: "Do not judge a book by its cover."

The cover has the important role of enticing people to see what's inside and, consequently, if it fails to present a logical message then who would bother to proceed?

While some books have intentionally witty and twisted logic designed to attract our attention, mixing political diplomacy, science and spiritual beliefs into one cover is completely absurd.

The English version of Siti's book was withdrawn by its author, less than one month after its initial release Feb. 6, due to the "inaccurate" translation.

The book contains Siti's personal account of her struggle to gain a fairer share in the 50-year-old Global Influenza Surveillance Network.

Many Indonesians have applauded Siti for her bravery and one local magazine even labeled her a hero.

Several times Siti mentions how she prayed to God for strength, prior to important meetings with World Health Organization representatives or countries opposed to her bold stance.

From her writing it is clear Siti firmly believes God attends her every meeting, even during long flights to Europe, following minutes and, while on the podium, moving her mouth with divine hands to unleash her anger.

In her closing, after a series of diplomatic meetings, she seems to renounce the outcome to God, in her belief that He would never disappoint the oppressed.

The WHO has responded to Indonesia's objections (not God's reprimand -- hopefully) announcing that a revision of virus sharing protocol would be considered.

So was it really God's omnipotent power that brought us the bird flu virus?

The Health Minister's book title strongly suggests the virus is part of God's plan to give global inequalities a shake-up.

Bird flu, as the title suggests, is God's latest gizmo -- adding to the spread of TB, dengue, AIDS, malaria, chikungunya, diarrhea and cholera as well as numerous other scourges Indonesia has been ravaged with.

So, is it God's will for us to face bird flu even when people live in dangerously unhygienic conditions in densely populated areas?

Is it a divine decision that people and chickens die painful deaths because the virus attacks and infests the lungs in a matter of days?

Could God spare us all with a peaceful departure because He is the supreme Giver?

In hopefully what reflects only her personal opinion, Siti claims those who have died from bird flu are martyrs.

Next time a campaigner knocks on the door and asks the home owner to cage their free-range chicken, the owner could casually answer, "Sorry, the chicken is God's creation. If I contract bird flu and die, it's God's will."

China: Disease risk 'increased' in spring

Via China Daily: Disease risk 'increased' in spring. Excerpt:

Natural disasters and the movement of migratory birds are increasing the threat of serious animal epidemic outbreaks this spring, a top agriculture official said Thursday.

Many of the regions devastated by the recent snowstorms have dense populations of waterfowl that can raise the risk of epidemics, Yin Chengjie, vice-minister of agriculture, said.

His warning followed the reemergence of bird flu in the country, with the disease claiming its third fatality of the year on Monday.

In addition to the rainfall in southern regions making the bird flu virus more active, disruption to the transport network and shortages of water and power have led to the vaccination of livestock being postponed, which makes them more vulnerable to disease, he said.

Frequent deliveries of poultry and livestock in the wake of natural disasters and the presence of migratory birds add to the risk of an epidemic occurring, Yin said.

"Local livestock and husbandry departments should take precautions to prevent animal epidemics such as bird flu and make preparations for disease control," he said.

He did not specify which regions were most at risk.

Yin also urged local authorities to speed up the vaccination of livestock to ensure there are sufficient food supplies during spring.

Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture ordered all seasonal vaccinations to be completed by the end of May, and said follow up inspections will be carried out in early June.

Yin also called for better supervision of animals at markets, farms and bird sanctuaries and ordered government departments to establish contingency plans to ensure any disease outbreak is dealt with in a timely manner.

UK: Bird flu discovered in dead goose

Via BBC News Online: Bird flu discovered in dead goose. Excerpt:

A dead goose has tested positive for the highly virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu, government scientists have said.

The remains of the bird were discovered around 1km (0.6m) from Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, where a number of swans have been found with the disease.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the Canada goose was the eleventh wild bird in the area to test positive for H5N1.

A spokeswoman said that the latest case was "not unexpected".

She said H5N1 was active at a very low level among wild birds in the area, and there was no evidence of the virus in domestic poultry locally.

Regular surveillance was continuing, she added, with patrols looking for dead birds.

Egypt: An update on the four-year-old

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to a WHO report: Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 4.

The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has announced a new human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection.

The case is a 4 years old female from El-Edwa district, Menea governorate. She developed symptoms on 21 February and was hospitalized on 24 February. She is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition.

Investigations into the source of her infection indicate exposure to sick poultry in the week prior to onset of symptoms.

Of the 44 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 19 have been fatal.

It's good news that the little girl is at least stable, and that's more news than we've had from Egypt's media since the case was reported on February 25.

A good overview of West Bengal

Via The Statesman, a long article by Arunayan Sharma, director of the Centre for Ecological Engineering, on the interaction of wild birds and domestic poultry in the recent H5N1 outbreak. As you'll see, the author doesn't share the FAO's high opinion of government response: Hide and seek. Excerpt, re-paragraphed:

A month after the outbreak of this virus, chickens are still dying and the government does not seem to be serious enough about handling the situation.

When the virus was first detected from Margram in Bhirbhum district, the department concerned showed the least concern. This led to the virus spreading from one district to another overnight.

There is now a possibility of the virus being transmitted due to the illegal import of chickens from neighbouring Bangladesh, where some parts of that country are still affected by avian flu.

To be fair, however, the disease spread when wintering migratory birds began leaving their wintering grounds from the wetlands and waterbodies of West Bengal.

A large part of the state is situated in the Gangetic flood plains, which are dotted with many large and small wetlands and water bodies located mostly in village areas. These wetlands and water bodies are a safe refuge for wintering water birds, mainly waterfowl, and the breeding ground for residential wild birds.

People living in close proximity to these areas are engaged in backyard poultry farming (both chickens and domestic ducks) for a livelihood. Domestic ducks are not kept in closed confines. Both chickens and domestic ducks are reared and kept in the same enclosure. Very frequently domestic ducks forage freely in these wetlands or water bodies that migratory water birds visit.

There remains the high possibility that domestic ducks caught the avian flu bug from poultry chickens because of their close proximity. Later these domestic ducks might have transmitted the virus to the waterfowl and other birds of that particular wetland or water body.

And in due course when migratory waterfowl began to leave their wintering grounds on their trans-boundary intercontinental flights to wherever they might have come from, they carried the virus with them.

This apart, local migratory waterbirds can carry the disease from one state to another in India. In this way, wild and poultry birds will continue to be affected by the avian flu.

Too quiet

We've seen a notable drop in flu reports in the last couple of days. Google Health News and NewsNow are recycling two or three stories (FAO praising India, for example), and other reports are more or less boilerplate—they could have been published at any time in the last couple of years. Case in point: This report from Thanh Nien Daily: Agricultural leaders unite to fight bird flu. Excerpt:

Agricultural officials Wednesday urged authorities in southern provinces to take measures to combat the bird flu epidemic that has hit nine provinces and killed four people nationwide this year.

At a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development required responsible agencies to eliminate birds in epidemic zones and warn people not to trade or eat infected poultry.

It also warned that the outbreak was likely to spread to more areas.

Statistics from the Animal Health Department showed that bird flu has been present in 15 communes of nine provinces in the country.

It has been noted most frequently in the north, but two southern provinces, Tra Vinh and Long An, have also been hit.

A total of nearly 22,000 poultry have been destroyed.

Pretty dull fare. The subtext is that the local authorities aren't doing their jobs, but at least the government has warned them yet again.

If I were superstitious, I'd start worrying about the storm likely to hit after this lull. If I were optimistic, I'd bet that this is the end of the cold-season spike in avian flu outbreaks, and that we can look forward to a relatively flu-free spring and summer.

Being neither superstitious nor optimistic, I'll just keep tracking my sources.

Canada: Who will care for the caregivers?

Via The Toronto Sun: Nurses left short in emergencies: Study. Excerpt:

Nurses face significant gaps when it comes to support during health emergencies such as a flu pandemic, says a new study.

"The weaknesses and gaps in human resource support identified in our research jeopardize the capacity of Canada's health-care system to prepare, respond and recover from infectious disease outbreaks and other crises," says lead researcher Dr. Carol Amaratunga of the University of Ottawa, whose Women's Health Research Unit carried out the study.

"Strengthening resources and support would also enhance public health and safety."

The study, Caring for Nurses in Public Health Emergencies, calls for greater support for emergency preparedness and response, as well as workplace improvements to better protect nurses in crises.

Recommendations include the need for increased access to training and drills, personal protective equipment, improved compensation and benefits for part-time casual employees.