Avian Influenza News

• Assam bird flu due to migratory birds: Ramadoss published on Dec 02, 2008
  The Indian Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, said that the recent outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in the state of Assam was due to migratory birds.
• Invisible line 'protects Australia from bird flu' published on Dec 02, 2008
  The biological separation that is termed the "Wallace Line" - a demarcation that separates the kinds of animals found in Asia from Australia - may have played a role in preventing the introduction of H5N1 into Australia.
• Saying thanks to the NGOs working in avian and pandemic flu published on Nov 26, 2008
  "As we head into this short Thanksgiving Holiday week, it is a good time to give thanks to those who are out there, trying to make a difference in this battle against the pandemic flu threat. You may know some of these people by name, and some by the organizations they represent, while others you may not be aware of at all..." No wildlife professionals gets mentioned, but you know who you are.
• Avian and Pandemic Influenza: The Global Response published on Nov 26, 2008
  Sometimes accomplishments in avian influenza research have gotten lost in the last few years, so here is a story that reminds us of what has been achieved around the world.
• Genetics Provide Evidence for the Movement of Avian Influenza Viruses from Asia to North America via Migratory Birds published on Oct 27, 2008
  Wild migratory birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than previously thought, according to new scientific research that has important implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America.
• Duck Migration through Past Influenza A (H5N1) Outbreak Areas published on Jul 01, 2008
  Garganey ducks fitted with satellite transmitters were tracked from Nigeria to Russia, passing through previous H5N1 outbreak areas. "These facts illustrate how a pathogen such as HPAI virus (H5N1) can potentially be transported rapidly by migratory birds across continents." The authors note however, "Despite extensive global wildlife surveillance efforts and with the exception of a few reported cases of HPAI (H5N1) infection in apparently healthy wild ducks, evidence of wild bird involvement in the spread of HPAI virus (H5N1) over long distances is still lacking."
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Pakistan (Immediate notification: 6/26/08). published on Jul 01, 2008
  "Contact with wild species" is given as the source or origin of the recent H5N1 outbreak at a commercial poultry farm in Pakistan.
• Ramsar plans wetland guidelines to halt spread of bird flu published on Jul 01, 2008
  Proposed changes to the Ramsar Convention this fall will facilitate sampling of wild birds to monitor for H5N1. Countries party to the convention will be encouraged to report species information on wild birds affected by bird flu.
• UN Cites Progress in Combating Avian Flu published on Jun 18, 2008
  David Nabarro, the UN official in charge of coordinating efforts to stop the spread of avian influenza, says progress is being made but the threat continues and he notes that the disease is endemic in five countries.
• Scientists to hunt down new viruses before they strike published on Jun 17, 2008
  Goggle has announced a "predict and prevent" program to identify animal pathogens and predict outbreaks around the world.
• Bird flu outbreak reported in North Korea, South Korean aid group says published on Jun 11, 2008
  Bird flu has broken out near a North Korean military base in the first reported case of the disease in the country since 2005, a South Korean aid group said Wednesday.The outbreak occurred last week near an air force base in Jongpyong county in South Hamgyong province, northeast of the capital Pyongyang.
• Hong Kong Acts to Curb Avian Virus published on Jun 11, 2008
  Hong Kong authorities announced Wednesday that they planned to kill all poultry in the territory's retail markets because of fears of a dangerous bird flu outbreak after detecting H5N1 at a market stall in the Kowloon area.
• Test shows bird flu in hens published on Jun 11, 2008
  A sample taken last week from a hen flock destroyed near West Fork tested positive for avian influenza in the laboratory, the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission said Monday. About 15, 000 breeder hens owned by Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. were killed and buried last week after tests showed some had developed antibodies connected with a mild form of avian influenza, or bird flu.
• H5N1 avian flu: Call for wild bird early warning system published on Jun 11, 2008
  Bernard Matthews Foods has urged the UK government and poultry industry to work together in establishing an early warning system for migratory birds that may carry H5N1 avian flu.
• Bird flu detected in Hong Kong market published on Jun 06, 2008
  Hong Kong health workers slaughtered 2,700 poultry in a market Saturday after chickens were found to be carrying the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus, officials said.
• Bird flu can mix with human influenza virus: research published on Jun 06, 2008
  Now scientists at the Centers for Disease Control in the United States have proven that the very deadly H5N1 virus can also mix with human flu.
• Bird flu search finds none yet coming to N.America published on Jun 05, 2008
  The feared H5N1 avian influenza has yet to make it to North America in the bodies of migrating birds, researchers said on Thursday.Testing of more than 16,000 migratory birds between May 2006 and March 2007 showed no evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has become entrenched in many parts of Asia and which regularly pops up in flocks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
• Bird flu search finds none yet coming to N.America published on Jun 05, 2008
  The feared H5N1 avian influenza has yet to make it to North America in the bodies of migrating birds, researchers said on Thursday.Testing of more than 16,000 migratory birds between May 2006 and March 2007 showed no evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus, which has become entrenched in many parts of Asia and which regularly pops up in flocks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
• Bird Flu Back in Britain published on Jun 04, 2008
  The Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, has today confirmed Avian Influenza in chickens on premises near Banbury in Oxfordshire after preliminary tests were positive for the H7 strain. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered as a precautionary measure.
• Record year for Bird Flu at swannery published on May 28, 2008
  Over 600 cygnets are expected at the Abbotsbury Swannery, where the surprisingly mild H5N1 outbreak in January have led scientist to believe the swans may have developed immunity to the virus and may have passed the protection onto the cygnets.
• Scientists identify second H7 strain of bird flu that could cause pandemic published on May 28, 2008
  The H5N1 strain of bird flu that has killed 241 people is not the only one that could trigger a pandemic, according to research in America. A few H7 strains of the flu virus have started to evolve some of the traits they would need to infect people easily, scientists have discovered.
• North American bird flu viruses becoming more adapted to humans: study published on May 26, 2008
  North American avian flu viruses of the H7 subtype - like the H7N3 viruses responsible for British Columbia's massive poultry outbreak in 2004 - seem to have adapted to more easily invade the human respiratory tract, a new American study suggests.The adaptation is still only partial and the findings do not suggest the viruses are imminently poised to trigger a pandemic. But experts say they underscore the fact that H7 flu viruses need to be watched and studied."I think this is certainly amongst the most dangerous (avian flu) viruses out there," said virologist Dr. Ron Fouchier, with the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
• Local Bird Flu Virus Matches Strain Found in Japan published on May 22, 2008
  Similarity in the genetic sequence between H5N1 viruses in poultry in South Korea and in wild birds in Japan has led to the suggestion that migratory birds on their way north from Southeast Asia may be involved in the spread of the disease.
• H5N1 bird flu found in dead swan in Hokkaido published on May 12, 2008
  A third H5N1 outbreak, this time involving a whooper swan in Lake Saroma in Hokkaido has been found.
• Japan OIE Immediate Notification Report. 4/29/08. published on May 05, 2008
  H5N1 has been found in four swans near lake Towada, Akita Prefecture, in Japan.
• Transmission of avian influenza virus (H3N2) to dogs published on Apr 02, 2008
  Strains of H3N2 viruses of avian origin were shown by researchers to be able to infect dogs in South Korea. This raises the possibility 'that dogs may play a role in interspecies transmission and spread of influenza virus' in a similar manner to pigs.
• Swiss find H5N1 in wild duck; India has new outbreak published on Mar 27, 2008
  A 'duck' that showed no signs of illness has tested positive for H5N1 in Sempachersee (Lake Sempach), near Lucern, Switzerland.
• Bird Flu Scientists Say Mallards May Carry Virus Long Distances published on Mar 24, 2008
  Experimental infections in six species of wild birds show varying susceptibility to H5N1. The authors suggest mallards as a possible species that combines susceptibilty and absence of clinical symptoms and thus may be able to disseminate the virus over long distances.
• AVIAN INFLUENZA (47): VIET NAM, CIVET published on Mar 17, 2008
  A description of the H5N1 outbreak in civets in Vietnam is provided by Leanne Clark, the veterinarian at the affected Cuc Phuong National Park.
• HK bird tests positive for deadly flu strain published on Mar 14, 2008
  A sick peregrine falcon, which died soon after collection, has tested positive for H5N1 in Ma Wan, Hong Kong SAR.
• Hong Kong wild bird tests positive for H5N1 published on Mar 07, 2008
  An Oriental magpie robin, found dead in the Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve has tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza.
• Flu Virus Research Yields Results but No Magic Bullet for Pandemic (subscription required) published on Mar 06, 2008
  A white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) infected with a strain of H5N2 (where sequencing suggests that it would be pathogenic to chickens) was found to be capable of migrating over 650 km.
• H5N1 in Canada Goose - 11th case in wild bird published on Mar 06, 2008
  A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) found dead on Feb 25 has tested positive for H5N1, less then 1 km from the Abbotsbury Swannery where previous H5N1 outbreaks have been confirmed.
• Migratory birds not main source of bird flu published on Feb 19, 2008
  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Pakistan said that migratory birds are not the main source of bird flu outbreaks in that country.
• Dead grey heron H5N1-positive published on Feb 14, 2008
  A dead grey heron found in Lok Ma Cahu last Friday (Feb 8), has tested positive for H5N1. This is the third wild bird that has tested positive for H5N1 this year in the territories.
• Who is spreading avian flu? published on Feb 07, 2008
  Yevgeny Kuznetsov, at the Wild Animal Protection Center in Russia points out that the pattern of H5N1 outbreaks, which includes 12 countries in 2008, is best explained by the dissemination by infected poultry and that the pattern and distribution of outbreaks do not follow migratory routes.
• Bird flu spreads to urban Bangladesh, officials say published on Feb 06, 2008
  Bird flu has spread to urban Bangladesh. Officials say "dozens" of crows that died over the last two days in the capital city of Dhaka has tested positive for H5N1 and in the port city of Chittagong, where bird flu was detected in crows last week, further crows and poultry farms have tested positive.
• Hong Kong closes bird sanctuary for 3 weeks after suspected bird flu death nearby published on Feb 06, 2008
  Hong Kong closes bird sanctuary for three weeks after suspected bird flu death nearby. The Mai Po bird sanctuary will be closed to the public for three weeks following a suspected bird flu related death in a great egret (Casmerodius albus).
• Turkey detects bird flu virus in poultry published on Feb 04, 2008
  A possible bird flu outbreak in a village near Samsun on the Black Sea coast has been blamed on wild birds by the Agriculture Ministry.
• Bird flu spreads in Bangladesh, port city on alert published on Feb 04, 2008
  The port city of Chittagong has been put on high alert following the detection of H5N1 in dead crows.