Photo Credit – FAO
# 6546
Last week, reports of a new strain of the H5N1 virus (see Vietnam Reports A Possible Change In The H5N1 Virus) – which supposedly originated in China - began to appear in the Vietnamese media.
Dubbed clade 2.3.2.1 C, this virus had recently been reported in seven provinces and cities, namely Haiphong, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Kan, Thanh Hoa and Quang Ngai.
Media reports strongly suggested that poultry smuggling out of China had recently introduced the virus to Vietnam.
Although China rarely admits to having a `bird flu problem’, the evidence often suggests the opposite. Just a few examples include:
- We’ve seen the recurring phenomenon of H5N1 infected poultry carcasses - apparently dumped into the upper Pearl River by farmers - washing up on the beaches of Hong Kong (see The Winter Of Our Disbelief).
- Earlier this summer, authorities in Taiwan seized, and destroyed 38 birds being smuggled into their country from China that were infected with the H5N1 virus (see Taiwan Seizes H5N1 Infected Birds).
- And migratory birds that arrive in Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea – many originating in China - have been found to be carrying the H5N1 virus (see Global H5N1 Blind Spots).
Today, Xinhua News – the official press agency of the People's Republic of China – has a long story about this newly detected clade of the H5N1 virus, but unlike earlier reports out of Vietnam, makes no mention of it originating in China.
In fact, they point the finger at Vietnam.
New bird flu strain develops unexpectedly in Vietnam
2012-09-10 19:37:08
HANOI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A new bird flu strain is developing unexpectedly in Vietnam and causing great concern to the government and public.
According to the National Animal Health Diagnosis Center, the new strain of bird flu virus, which is suspected to have higher risk of causing human death than previously known ones, appeared in July and widely spread in August in Vietnam's seven central and northern provinces.
Hoang Van Nam, head of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)'s Animal Health Department, said that this virus, thought to belong to H5N1 - Clade 2.3.2.1, is different from the two strains of A and B that appeared in Vietnam in 2011, due to its higher pathogenic risk.
According to the department, as of Sept.6, the new virus strain has attacked seven central and northern cities and provinces, including Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Can and Quang Ngai, and over 180,000 infected poultry have been culled so far this year.
Apart from the newly-found strain of the virus, the bird flu has developed unexpectedly in the country so far this year. Normally, avian influenza appears shortly before or after the traditional lunar Tet holidays (which often falls in late January and early February). However, it has appeared since July this year and fast spread without warning. In the Central Highlands Dak Lak province, about 30 influenza epidemic spots were found in only one day.
In the global scheme of things, it may not make a lot of difference on which side of a country’s border this new clade of H5N1 originated. Viruses rarely respect artificial man-made barriers like borders, anyway.
But this story illustrates just how vulnerable news stories can be to government manipulation and `spin’.
A reminder that, while we are often dependent upon government operated news agencies, we shouldn’t put too much faith in the details.
Caveat Lector should always be our guide.
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