Bird Flu

[Boddie]

Watching a program on the TV tonight. All looks pretty scary to me. Whilst travelling last year it was quite disturbing to see how many travellers in the airports wore masks and had a great concern for this possible pandemic. Does anyone know what species of birds it affects. The authorities now seem genuinely concerned about this risk.

[Helen]

Here is something I wrote not long ago regarding birdflu:

Avian influenza, a highly infectious disease, is caused by type A strain of the influenza virus. It was first identified more than 100 years ago in Italy and is found worldwide.

The strain of current concern is called ‘H5N1’ a fast mutating virus that can cause severe disease and even death in humans. H5N1 was first isolated in birds in South Africa in 1961. Wild birds are natural hosts, and it is most notably carried by waterfowl including wild ducks. This makes these particular birds more resistant to the virus. Domestic poultry are especially susceptible to the virus. Direct or indirect contact with wild birds makes domestic poultry especially susceptible to the virus. Live bird markets are also thought to spread the virus rapidly.

H5N1 was first documented as transferring from bird to humans in 1997 when it killed 6 people in Hong Kong. Over 1.5 million birds were destroyed within 3 days (the entire poultry population). This was strongly believed to have avoided a pandemic. Hong Kong has adopted strict sanitation conditions, as well as culling, vaccination and farmer compensation.

The virus is spread easily in poultry from farm to farm in rural areas and is transmitted by the bodily secretions and faecal matter of wild birds. (The virus is excreted both orally and by faeces for 10 days after surviving the infection).

The flu has occurred in humans when they have been in contact with infected poultry or even contaminated surfaces. In 2003 an outbreak was confirmed in North Korea. Since then more than 50 people have died across Asia, including 42 people in Viet Nam. More than 70% of waterfowl along the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam have tested positive for H5N1 and human deaths have also occurred in Cambodia and Thailand.

Because the virus does not commonly infect humans, there is little if any immune protection. If the virus mutates and is able spread easily from human to human an influenza pandemic (a worldwide outbreak) could occur. However, scientists are currently working on a vaccine, although it won’t be available for the coming months.

Countries in Asia have agreed to stockpile the antiviral drug ‘Tamiflu’ made by Switzerland’s Roche AG, although researchers are advising that ‘Relenza’ should also be stockpiled. These drugs can reduce the flu infection and can also quicken the recovery process. Roche has said it is considering donating an amount of Tamiflu to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Western countries are also in the process of stockpiling the drugs, leading to demands from the less affluent Asian countries that the drug production is opened up to generic manufacturers.

Check out the WHO and the CDC websites for more information.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/facts.htm

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/

[Pat]

Thanks Helen, very informative.

[Boddie]

Yes excellent. Thanks Helen

[nightshade]

feeding or handling birds or animals their feeding or living areas requires that you take sensible hygiene precautions,hand washing,even a facemask or a change of clothes if in close proximity . if this sounds o.t.t remember someone catches it first!
now relax and enjoy wildlife

[Boddie]

That's a fair point well made

[StuartDH]

Paul Richardson from the Sunday Times in South Africa has just mailed me to say that the strain of bird flu identified in South African terns in 1961 was H5N3 - not H5N1, which was first isolated in birds in SE Asia in the mid-1990s.

[Helen]

OK Thanks. Is it possible he could provide the source for that information?

That little snippet came from the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website, under the heading "Key Facts About Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus"

The Reuters Foundation (alertnet.org) is also reporting is as H5N1 in 1961, as well as many other sources, too numerous to mention here.

[narinatrogon]

Helen

I've spoken to South Africa's chief virologist, Prof Barry Schoub, who was taught by the man who identified the H5N3 strain in terns in 1961. I've attached his comments and references. I am in the process of informing the CDC, Reuters and other organisations of their error.

cheers
Paul Richardson

"The 1961 avian flu outbreak in common terns in the Cape, describe by Wally Becker in 1966(1) was probably the first outbreak of avian flu in wild birds with high mortality. The subtype of that avian flu virus was not mentioned in that article but has been subsequently referenced as H5N3(2) – see page 8952. The origin of the present HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) H5N1 probably originated from an isolate Goose/Guangdong/1/96 (Gs/Gd), which subsequently evolved by a genetic change called reassortment to the HPAI H5N1 which caused the first H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997 and subsequent cases in 2003 to the present(3)."

References:

(1). Becker WB. The isolation and classification of Tern virus: Influenza Virus A/Tern/South Africa/1961. J Hyg Camb 1966; 64: 309-320

(2). Lipatov AS, Govorkova EA, Webby RJ, Ozaki H, Peiris M, Guan Y, Poon L, Webster RG. Influenza: Emergence and Control. J Virol 2004; 78(17): 8951-8959

(3). Li KS, Guan Y, Wang J, Smith GJD, Xu KM, Duan L, Rahardjo AP, Puthavathana P, Buranathai C, Nguyen TD, Estoepangestie ATS, Chaisingh A, Auewarakul P, Long HT, Hanh NTH, Webby RJ, Poon LLM, Chen H, Shortridge KF, Yuen KY, Webster RG, Peiris JSM. Genesis of a highly pathogenic and potentially pandemic H5N1 influenza virus in eastern Asia. Nature 2004; 430: 209-

[Helen]

Originally Posted by narinatrogon

Helen

I've spoken to South Africa's chief virologist, Prof Barry Schoub, who was taught by the man who identified the H5N3 strain in terns in 1961. I've attached his comments and references. I am in the process of informing the CDC, Reuters and other organisations of their error.

cheers
Paul Richardson

Thanks very much for the information Paul. Much obliged.

Regards