Avian Influenza Situation Updates: Archive

Updated October 21, 2005

• Human Cases: Numbers at a Glance
• New News
• New USAID Actions
• Upcoming Actions

Human Cases: Numbers at a Glance

New News

• New cases in Asia: Thailand reported its first human bird flu death in a year this week, while Indonesia reported that a father and son were being treated for suspected H5N1 flu. In China, a new outbreak of H5N1 in birds was reported in the capital of Inner Mongolia which is about 250 miles from Beijing.
  
  
• Roche to license generic bird flu drugs: Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche has asked generic drug firms to help speed up the manufacture of a key anti-viral ahead of a feared bird flu pandemic. Demand has soared for the drug Tamiflu. The firms Teva, Barr, Mylan and Ranbaxy aim to start production within a month.
  
  
• Europe's top health officials meet Thursday, banning live birds from markets: Europe's health ministers met to discuss ways to thwart the spread of the deadly H5N1 virus, which has now hit the continent. The H5N1 strain has been confirmed in Turkey, Romania, Russia, but initial tests in Greece turned up negative keeping the European Union's 25-nation bloc without a confirmed case for now. There are suspected but unconfirmed cases of avian influenza in birds/poultry in Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia and Russia (near Moscow). The ministers set a six-month ban on live birds from markets or exhibitions and urged states to keep wild flocks away from poultry feed.
  
  
• Southeast Asian nations announce partnership to limit animal diseases: Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to Control Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADS) in the Mekong Region. The Focus is on the three most trade-limiting diseases: Food-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), and Avian Influenza (AI).
  
  
• Australian volunteers receive shots of prototype vaccine: Australia has announced that it will begin testing a prototype bird flu vaccine on some 400 human volunteers. Vaccine makers around the world are rushing to create vaccine that will be effective against the H5N1 strain.

New USAID Actions

• USAID provides $13.7 million to support efforts in Southeast Asia: USAID has obligated $13.7 million to help prevent and contain avian influenza in Southeast Asia. Ten million of these funds were from the Emergency Supplemental and $3.7 million were redirected from other programs. This includes about $3.5 million for Vietnam, $1.6 million for Laos, $2.2 million for Cambodia, $3.2 million for Indonesia, and $500,000 to support China. In addition, USAID committed $2.7 million to support AI activities at the regional level. These funds will be used to contain the further spread of avian influenza in animal populations; reduce the risk of human infections; and support pandemic planning and preparedness.
  
  
• Asia and Near East: Key activities will include strengthening disease surveillance and laboratory diagnosis; training and equipping of rapid response teams; and conducting targeted communication campaigns. USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has also pre-positioned personal protective gear in the region to be used in the case of an emergency.
  
  
• Europe and Eurasia: In recent weeks, as there have been outbreaks in animal populations expanding into the Eastern European and Eurasian countries, USAID has quickly responded with our other U.S. Government (USG) colleagues reaching out to governments and in-country partners. The Agency is providing support to these countries to develop and strengthen preparedness plans and coordinate donor assistance.
  
  
• Africa: In Africa, which could also be at risk of H5N1 outbreaks in animal populations due to bird migration from Asia, USAID missions are helping host governments to convene donors, establish task forces, and develop pandemic preparedness plans. In addition, USAID is using its disease surveillance program to strengthen the capacity of countries to detect and diagnose avian influenza.
  
  
• Latin American and Caribbean: Through its sixteen missions around the Latin American and Caribbean region, USAID is working with host governments and other partners to raise awareness and plan for a potential flu pandemic. USAID Missions are working to assess the pandemic preparedness of host countries, and are beginning technical consultations in cooperation with other U.S. Government Agencies and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). In Washington, USAID redirected $135,000 to support pandemic flu planning efforts by PAHO.
  
  
• Top USAID health official accompanies U.S. Delegation in Asia: USAID Administrator Andrew S. Natsios dispatched the Agency's top health official -- Dr. Kent R. Hill, Assistant Administrator for Global Health -- to the region last week to visit the most affected countries by the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The delegation, led by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt and joined by notable international representatives including World Health Organization Director-General J.W. Lee, met with officials in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia to discuss international coordination and support to contain avian influenza outbreaks and prepare for a pandemic.
  
  
• USAID participates in international meeting on threat of outbreak: Dr. Hill joined HHS Secretary Leavitt, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Johanns, Department of State Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky and delegates from 80 nations and international agencies in Washington to formulate the best way to fight the growing outbreak of avian influenza. Anti-viral stockpiles, vaccine development and distribution, and rapid response and containment were key issues raised during this first meeting of the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) October 6-7, 2005.
  
  
• USAID Administrator declares bird flu top priority and creates senior task force: In a worldwide message to employees, USAID Administrator Andrew S. Natsios declared AI the top priority for all of the Agency's missions and posts worldwide and sought a coordinated, effective response across the globe. He also called for the immediate creation of an Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Task Force that will meet weekly to consider urgent policy and budget issues. The Task Force will be chaired by Dr. Hill with representation from all Agency bureaus.
  
  
• USAID creates avian and pandemic influenza management and response unit: Administrator Natsios announced the establishment of an Avian and Pandemic Influenza Management and Response Unit co-located in the Bureau for Global Health. This unit will be responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of the Agency's AI activities, including providing direct technical and program support to the regional bureaus and field missions, liaising with other U.S. government and international partners on AI, and identifying and reporting to the Task Force on key policy and budget issues that require senior level action.

Upcoming Actions

• U.S. Government team to visit Eurasia: In November 2005, the Director of USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Management and Response Unit will lead a U.S. Government Delegation to Romania, Turkey and other Eurasian countries where recent outbreaks of H5N1 were detected.
  
  
• USAID to meet with CARE Vietnam: USAID avian influenza experts will meet with CARE/Vietnam Country Director Carol Sherman in Washington next Friday to discuss a coordinated response to the avian influenza threat.
  
  
• Country Rapid Assessments: The Rapid Assessment questionnaire to all Missions is due by October 31, 2005.