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The Return Of Bird Flu

 

 

# 4099

 

 

While the  H5N1 virus has been off the radar scope for awhile, replaced in our attentions by the H1n1 virus, it is still out there; in the wild, endemic in the domesticated birds of several nations, and occasionally infecting humans.

 

Over the long holiday weekend we learned of Egypt’s 89th known H5N1 human infection.   Today, three new reports: two from Indonesia and one from Vietnam.

First, out of Vietnam, we get this newspaper report of that country’s first known H5N1 fatality since last spring.   Treyfish on Flutrackers has the story from the Vietnam Express, and the complete translated text here.

 

 

In Vietnam The youth died of H5N1


November 30, 2009, 17:27 GMT +7


Patients age 23, in ward Sam Min, the city of Dien Bien, had eaten more duck soup for about a week before has the disease. Especially as the H5N1 ca 5 this year are fatal.

 
Notified by the Department of Preventive Health and Environment (Ministry of Health), patients starting on November 18 patients with sudden high fever, cough, shortness of breath. However, six days after the last patient visit at the medical ward station, then transferred to the Clinic The area of Phu on November 25.


A day later, he continued to be transferred to Hospital Dien Bien province and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia monitor viral, antibiotic treatment, transmission service, antipyretic. Patients to proceed more severe and the patient died on November 28.


As of 29/11, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology central results of patients tested positive for H5N1 virus.

 

Officially Vietnam has reported 4 cases of human H5N1, with all four dying.  If officially confirmed, it will probably be a couple of days before news of this case is relayed to the WHO.

 

We next jump to Indonesia, where getting good information on H5N1 has been almost impossible for the past couple of years.  Government silence on outbreaks in poultry and human infections is pretty much standing policy.

 

So while we sometimes see local media accounts of H5N1 infections, we almost never get official confirmation. 

 

Ida at the Bird Flu Information Corner (BFIC) - a  joint venture between Kobe University in Japan and the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Indonesia – remains our best source of information about what is going on in that archipelago nation.

 

Ida translates local media reports and posts them on the BFIC site.  Today we have two such reports, the first involving a suspected human infection in Padang.

 

Padang, West Sumatera ::: Duck farmer suspected to contract bird flu

November 30, 2009

Padang, West Sumatera – A resident of Tanjuang Durian, Nagari Baru Kecamatan Bayang Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, Dasrizal (37), suspected to contract bird flu virus and admitted to M Djamil hospital.

 

Patient is a duck farmer, and raising hundreds of ducks. He is reported to have found almost of all his ducks suddenly died. Subsequent to the finding, he burried the dead ducks. He developed high fever at noon of the same day, and his family gave him antipyretic drug, a kind of paracetamol.

 

Dafrizal’s fever was getting higher in the afternoon and his family brought him to Pasa Baru public health center in the evening. Public health center was then referred Dafrizal to M Zein Painan hospital, where he was diagnosed as bird flu suspect. Patient was transferred to M Djamil hospital to receive better treatment as bird flu suspect patient.

 

Source: Indonesia local newspaper, Padang Today. http://padang-today.com/?today=news&id=11542

 

 

This second story involves government supplied poultry – a contribution by local governments to their community – that have suddenly died from bird flu.    Other communities received similar contributions, and so the search is on for other outbreaks.

 

 

Lhoksukon, North Aceh ::: Government contributed poultries die of bird flu

November 30, 2009

Lhoksukon – Avian influenza (AI) rapid response team of Livestock Service and Animal Health Service in North Aceh culled number of bird flu infected chickens. Those chickens were contributed by local government for community in Calong, Kecamatan Syamtalira Aron.

 

AI team coordinator, dr Muzakir Anwar on Monday (29/11) said depopulation was done last Wednesday (25/11) after receiving report that 330 of 400 contributed chickens suddenly died. Further check to survived and dead chickens showed positive bird flu infection.

 

Previously, 90 of 400 contributed chickens were reported to have died of bird flu infection in Simpang Empat, Kecamatan Simpang Keuramat. Same incidents occurred in Matang Kuli, Baktiya, dan Muara Batu at the following day.

 

Currently, livestock service is waiting for report from three other sub-district (Kecamatan) which received same contributions; Cot Girek, Langkahan and Saenuddon. So far no report from those three sub-districts, but there is high possibility that same incident may happen.

(Continue . . . )

 

 


The great unknown, of course, is whether the H5N1 virus will ever make the adaptations required to make it an easily transmissible human pathogen.   So far, that hasn’t happened.  

 

And perhaps, there are biological barriers to prevent it from ever happening.  We simply don’t know.

 

Many scientists are concerned over what happens when the H1N1 swine flu virus meets up with the H5N1 bird flu virus in the same host (human, bird, pig).   Again, scientists don’t know if a reassortment will occur.  

 

They just know it’s possible.

 

Flu Reassortment

 

There are some that would argue that since H5N1 hasn’t learned to jump to humans yet, it probably won’t. 

 

That’s possible, of course. 

 

But that ignores the reality that the novel H1N1 virus bounced around in pigs for many years before finding the right genetic combination to make it a human adapted virus.

 

And so we continue to watch warily as influenza evolves on multiple fronts.  The H1N1 pandemic, of course.  But also H5N1 bird flu, and the H7, H9, and H10 avian viruses as well.

 

We cohabitate with a immense, diverse, and ever evolving world of pathogens. 

 

We would ignore them at our considerable peril.

Related Post:

Bird Flu
Vietnam
Indonesia

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