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Bird Flu Information and News 2008

 

Latest Bird Flu World News: January 11-17, 2009

Chicken Back In Business, Confusion Prevails Over Bird Flu.
GUWAHATI, India - The festive markets of Assam are witnessing brisk sale of chicken even as two separate organs of the Assam government are still in conflict over the allowance of sale of poultry products. Despite culling operations still on in at least three nearby districts of Guwahati, sale of chicken has been allowed all over Assam, including in the biggest market here, by the state veterinary department, which has infuriated the district administration as they issued official statement saying that no sale was allowed. Meanwhile, confusion prevailed among the masses as the chicken traders were seen in hectic activity, trying to make up for the losses since the chicken sale was banned on November 17.

Egyptian Baby Contracts Bird Flu: WHO.
GENEVA, Switzerland - An Egyptian toddler has contracted bird flu, the 52nd case to be reported in the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on its website on Thursday. Most of the victims have been young girls or women, who are generally charged with looking after poultry in the countryside, and 23 have died of the disease. The UN agency, quoting the Egyptian health ministry, said the latest victim was a 22-month-old girl, from Kerdasa district in Sixth of October governorate in northern Egypt, who fell ill on January 9 and was hospitalized the following day. "Investigations into the source of her infection indicate a recent history of contact with sick and dead poultry," the WHO said, adding that her condition was stable. A 16-year-old Egyptian girl from a village near the central city of Assiut, who died in mid-December, was the most recent fatal case. Egypt has the highest death toll from bird flu outside Asia.

U.S. Government, Novartis In $486 Million Flu Vaccine Deal.
ZURICH, Switzerland - The U.S. government has awarded Novartis AG a contract worth up to $486 million over eight years to build a plant to manufacture influenza vaccine for use in case of a pandemic, the Swiss drugmaker said. The plant -- in Holly Springs, North Carolina -- will have the capacity to make 150 million doses of vaccine within six months of an influenza pandemic being declared, Novartis said in a statement on Thursday. The company anticipates the site will provide some 300 jobs and will also be able to produce cell-based seasonal flu vaccine and pre-pandemic vaccine.

ROME, Italy - "A fresh input of US$ 350 million to the international fight against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) made the news when it was announced in Sharm El-Sheikh..." [Source: FAO, 2008]

Pandemic Flu: California State & Local Planning & Response Activities.
Information on California pandemic flu planning; state agriculture, health and wildlife contact information; federal funding assistance and links to pandemic website information.

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