AVIAN INFLUENZA - EASTERN ASIA (56)
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org
In this update:
[1] FAO update
[2] Indonesia, H5N1
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[1] FAO update
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004
From: ProMED-mail <[email protected]
Source: FAOAIDE News, Issue no. 9, 23 Mar 2004 [edited]
Update on the Avian Influenza situation (As of 23 Mar 2004)
----------------------------------------------------------
a. Avian Influenza (confirmed):
The number of countries affected remains the same since the last issue
(No.
8, 12 Mar 2004).
As of 23 Mar 2004, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) - H5N1 has
been
reported in: Viet Nam, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Japan, Republic of
Korea, Indonesia, and China.
b. Situation in individual countries:
1. Republic of Korea: New cases of bird flu were reported in Chickens at a
farm in Yangju on 21 Mar 2004. Chicken deaths have been reported since 4
Mar 2004 in Yangiu but had been attributed to a liver disease. 400 000
chickens and ducks at 20 farms within a 3-km radius have been culled in
Yangju. Among wild birds tested in Republic of Korea (99 magpies and one
crow), one magpie in Yangsan (near an infected farm reported in January)
was found positive for avian influenza.
2. Japan: 3 crows found dead in Kameoka city (Kyoto prefecture), and one
of
them found positive to avian Influenza virus.
3. Indonesia: Large areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan are suspected to be
affected by the disease, and high mortalities in poultry have been
reported
in other islands such as Lombok, Sumbawa, and Flores. Additional
information on outbreak locations are required to have a better
understanding of the disease situation in the country and ways of
spreading.
4. Thailand: Avian influenza virus was detected in 3000 chicken samples in
Utradit, Chon Buri, and Chiang Rai provinces. More than 20 000 chicken
deaths were also reported in Sansai district of Chiang Mai province.
Currently 11 provinces are under surveillance: Chiang Rai, Chacherngsao,
Kampangphet, Rai-Et, Khon Khaen, Uthaithani, Utradit, Chiang Mai, Ayudhya,
Chon Buri, and Nakonpathom provinces.
5. Cambodia: Test results on samples taken from poultry in Siem Reap,
Kandal, and Takeo provinces on 21 Feb 2004 were released on 17 Mar 2004
and
confirmed the presence of H5N1.
6. Viet Nam: No new outbreak reported in poultry since 26 Feb 2004.
However
a fatal human case in a 12-year-old boy was reported in Tay Ninh province.
7. Netherlands: 22 000 chickens were culled at a farm in Uithuizermeeden
(Eemsmond municipality, Groningen province) as a precautionary measure on
12 Mar 2004 after routine test showed antibodies against avian influenza.
No clinical signs were observed. 600 ducks were also culled at a farm in
Lopik (Utrecht province) and 1000 birds at a farm in Steenbergen after
test
results indicated antibodies against avian influenza.
c. Under investigation / rumours and suspicions / other information:
1. Mongolia: 17 birds including 5 crows found dead around Erdenetsagaan
soum county of Suhbaatar aymag province. Further information has been
requested.
2. Japan: Japan's National Institute of Animal Health studied the viruses
found in 1 outbreak in South Korea (December 2003) and 4 in Japan (2004),
the gene sequence of the viruses matched by more than 99 percent.
d. Control strategies currently in implementation:
Vaccination has been implemented in: China (Central & Southern areas),
Hong
Kong SAR, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Preventive vaccination is planned in
Myanmar.
e. Resources available
Relevant articles/publications:
1. The use of vaccination as an option for the control of Avian Influenza
(I. Capua, S. Marango) - 71st OIE General Session (May 2003). Available
at: <http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/153564/A_71_SG_12_CS3E.pdf
2. Information for shipping international diagnostic specimens to the
International Reference Laboratories (see appendix 2 of AIDEnews issue 5
or
6, available at: <http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAH/EMPRES/index.asp)
3. FAO/EMPRES Manual on procedure for disease eradication by stamping out
(<http://www.fao.org//DOCREP/004/Y0660E/Y0660E00.HTM)
4. FAO AIDE News (Vol. 1 -- 8)
(<http://www.fao.org/ag/AGA/AGAH/EMPRES/index.asp)
5. Avian influenza: update on European response
(<http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2004/040205.asp#1)
6. Study shows high level of avian to human transmission of influenza A
(H7N7) during outbreak in the Netherlands 2003.
(<http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2004/040226.asp#5)
f. Relevant Web sites:
1. FAO Avian Influenza fact sheet:
<http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/avian.html
2. OIE web site: <http://www.oie.int/eng/en_index.htm
3. OIE Technical Disease Cards:
<http://www.oie.int/eng/maladies/fiches/a_A150.htm
4. WHO Avian influenza frequently asked questions web site:
<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/
5. WHO Advice to international travellers:
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_01_26/en/
6. EU Public Health web site:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/influenza_en.htm
******
[2] Indonesia, H5N1
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004
From: ProMED-mail <[email protected]
Source: The Jakarta Post, 24 Mar 2004 [edited]
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20040324.L01&irec=0
Govt rejects UN report on bird flu spread
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Refuting the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announcement on
Monday, the Ministry of Agriculture asserted on Tuesday that avian
influenza cases in Indonesia were declining rather than increasing.
The ministry stated that among the 11 provinces that had previously
reported bird flu cases, 5 provinces reported zero cases in February 2004,
while only 14 regencies were affected, down from 51 last month.
In addition, the total number of chickens dying of bird flu dropped to 1.2
million in January 2004 and to 966 000 in February after reaching the
highest level of 1.6 million in December 2003, an official at the ministry
told The Jakarta Post.
"It is true that West Kalimantan was added to the list recently, but
Banten, Jakarta, West Java, South Kalimantan, and Lampung have not
reported
any cases in February 2004," said Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, the
Director
of Animal Health at the ministry, in response to the FAO report.
According to data from the ministry, the 6 provinces that reported bird
flu
cases in February 2004 were Central Java with 527 319 cases, Yogyakarta 31
075 cases, East Java 65 161 cases, Bali 333 268 cases, Central Kalimantan
4279 cases, and West Kalimantan 5770 cases.
Tri denied that the disease had spread to other areas, such as Lombok,
Sumbawa, Flores, and West Timor as claimed by the FAO official, saying
that
there had been no reports from local officials confirming the presence of
the disease.
"The ministry has ordered all local officials and farm owners to
report
each bird flu case so it would be impossible for us not to know of any new
cases," she said.
A decree from the ministry stipulates that a citizen who deliberately
fails
to report a bird flu case will be punished under Decree No. 15/1977 on
dangerous diseases.
An official from FAO said on Monday that bird flu cases had been spreading
and increasing in Indonesia recently because government resources were
stretched to the limit, while most countries experienced a slowdown.
Tri, however, acknowledged that her ministry lacked the funds and human
resources to handle the nationwide outbreak. She complained that the small
number of veterinarians nationwide made efforts to eradicate the disease
even tougher, saying that many regencies had only one or 2 veterinarians.
"Although there was a verbal commitment from both the House of
Representatives and the Ministry of Finance to allocate Rp 72 billion [USD
8.4 million] to import bird flu vaccines, we haven't received any money so
far," she said.
Tri stated that vaccines had to be imported because many farmers were
skeptical about locally produced vaccine. The farmers have refused to buy
local vaccine. As a result, she said, the government had to buy most
of
the local vaccine and inoculate the chickens on infected farms for free.
"We must inoculate these chickens now; otherwise the 2nd round of the
epidemic could hit Indonesia in April 2004," she warned.
[Byline: Abdul Khalik]
--
ProMED-mail
<[email protected]
[Since 5 Mar 2004 the OIE has received no reports from Indonesia. Timely
and complete reporting could have enabled a better assessment of the
epizootiological situation there.
All obtained reports can be seen at today's (24 Mar 2004) OIE's Update on
Avian Influenza in Animals in Asia
<http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A_AI-Asia.htm.
The most recent reports, from the 7 other East Asian countries currently
regarded infected with H5N1, have been received on the following dates:
Viet Nam (19 Mar 2004); Thailand (22 Mar 2004); Cambodia (19 Mar 2004);
Lao
PDR (27 Jan 2004); Japan (12 Mar 2004); Republic of Korea (24 Mar 2004);
and China (19 Mar 2004). - Mod.AS]
[see also:
Avian influenza - Eastern Asia 20040114.0145
Avian influenza - Eastern Asia (52) 20040319.0768
Avian influenza - Eastern Asia (53) 20040320.0776
Avian influenza - Eastern Asia (54) 20040321.0789
Avian influenza - Eastern Asia (55) 20040322.0796]
..................arn/pg/mpp
