Nepal Government says No Confirmed Cases of Bird Flu in Humans

[HenryN]

AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (20): NEPAL, SUSPECTED
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: Sun 25 Jan 2009
Source: China View, Xinhua News Agency [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/25/content_10717281.htm>

Nepal has found a patient from Damak, eastern Nepal, to be a
suspected case of human bird flu infection, the Nepali national news
agency RSS reported on Sunday [25 Jan 2009]. Damak of Jhapa district
is some 320 km east of the Nepali capital Kathmandu. In mid-January
2009, the 1st case of bird flu in poultry was detected in Kakarbhitta
of the same district.

According to the report, bird flu has been suspected to have infected
a patient from Damak, who was taken to nearby BP Koirala Institute
for Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan. Communication spokesperson
for BPKIHS Bijay Rimal said bird flu virus has been suspected to have
been found in the patient's blood sample during tests in the
institute's laboratory. He said the patient's blood sample has been
sent for further tests in a sophisticated laboratory. He said the
patient was showing symptoms of bird flu infection. The BPKIHS,
however, did not reveal where the patient's blood sample had been sent.

Rimal, however, said it cannot be officially confirmed whether the
patient is infected with bird flu yet as the institute lacked a
specific lab to test bird flu. The patient has been referred to
Dharan by Lifeline Hospital in Damak following 3-day treatment there.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

******
[2]
Date: Sun 25 Jan 2009
Source: China view, Xinhua News Agency [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/25/content_10718944.htm>


With panic spreading among the public about bird flu, Nepali
authorities confirmed Sunday [25 Jan 2009] no person has been
infected with the virus, and the virus has not spread in the capital
Kathmandu, local media reported. Director of the BP Koirala Institute
of Health Science Dr BP Das rebuffed the rumors that 2 persons being
treated at the hospital were infected with the avian virus (H5N1). He
clarified that the 2 were admitted into the hospital 3 days ago after
being infected with pneumonia, not bird flu, eKantipur.com reported.

Dr. Das claimed that the media had unnecessarily created false rumors
that the 2 patients had contracted the virus. He also reported that
the hospital had already contacted the government for the provision
of additional manpower, tools and medicines, keeping in view the
possible outbreak of avian flu in people. He added that the hospital
has made preparations for a separate "Tropical Ward" for the
treatment of avian flu, if needed.

Likewise, the government has confirmed that the avian virus has not
been detected in the capital so far. Spokesperson at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives Hari Dahal said: "A few chickens died in
the capital recently. We are carrying out the tests, but it has not
been confirmed yet as to whether the chickens died of the avian
virus. After carrying out preliminary tests in Nepal, samples have
been sent to the United Kingdom for confirmation," he said.

The government on 16 Jan 2009 confirmed the outbreak of bird flu
virus in the eastern district of Jhapa.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[A map of the administrative regions of Nepal is available at:
<http://ncthakur.itgo.com/map04.htm>. Jhapa district where the
suspected human case originated is also where the 1st confirmed
outbreak of avian A/H5N1 influenza in poultry occurred. It lies about
300 km to the east of the capital Kathmandu, where the 1st 2
suspected human cases, now discounted, were treated.

Further information is awaited on the outcome of laboratory diagnosis
of the clinical samples from the Jhapa patient, more likely to test
positive due to the proximity of the outbreak of disease in poultry.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Nepal is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=28.3,83.9,5>.
- Mod.CP]

[see also:
Avian influenza (05): Nepal, 1st outbreak 20090116.0180]
.......................................cp/msp/mpp

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by niman

AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (20): NEPAL, SUSPECTED
***********************************************
Further information is awaited on the outcome of laboratory diagnosis
of the clinical samples from the Jhapa patient, more likely to test
positive due to the proximity of the outbreak of disease in poultry.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Nepal is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=28.3,83.9,5>.
- Mod.CP]

[see also:
Avian influenza (05): Nepal, 1st outbreak 20090116.0180]
.......................................cp/msp/mpp

Since CP and samples are in England, his expectations may be a leading indicator.

[HenryN]

Govt says no case of bird- flu reported in other parts of the country
The government has said that apart from eastern Nepal district of Jhapa no case of bird- flu was reported in other parts of the country.
Issuing a press release Sunday to dispel rumors about the spread of the bird flu in various parts of the country including capital Kathmandu, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said no case of the bird-flu virus was found other than in Kakadbhitta of Jhapa.
Kakadbhitta is a bordering town adjacent to India's West Bengal state.
The release also states that regular tests were being carried out on birds that have died in various parts of the country since the outbreak in Jhapa.
Talking to mediapersons at his office Sunday, spokesperson at the ministry of agriculture and cooperatives, Hari Dahal said that no person has been infected with the bird flu virus in Kathmandu or elsewhere in the country, and that the mass media has tried to create panic among valley denizens by claiming that bird flu has entered the valley
The Himalayan Times quoted him as saying that the authorities in the valley were prepared to tackle the problem and that the quarantine process had been tightened in different parts of the country from where birds used to be imported to the valley.
The news of bird flu outbreak in eastern Nepal last week has sent shockwaves across the country with people in Kathmandu and other parts of the country shunning consumption of poultry products.
Meanwhile, the Dharan based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) has also denied reports appearing in different media that two persons being treated at the hospital were infected with the avian virus.
In a press release issued Sunday, Director of the BPKIHS, Dr BP Das clarified that the patients Santosh Dahal and Hum Bahadur were admitted three days ago for treatment of pneumonia, not bird-flu. nepalnews.com Jan 26 09

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/200...n26/news13.php

[HenryN]

Separate ward to treat bird flu patients in BPKIHS


PRADEEP MEYANGBO DHARAN, Jan 26 - Keeping in view the possibility that avian flu virus might infect people, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) here in Dharan began setting up a separate ward to treat such patients.
The decision was taken in the wake of the outbreak of bird flu in Kakadbhitta of Jhapa district. “We’ve been setting up a ward to treat avian flu virus affected patients at the tropical ward, where we plan to establish one emergency ward as well,” said Dr. Balabhadra Prasad Das, Director of BPKIHS
on Sunday.
He also dismissed rumours that two bird flu patients were admitted at the hospital for treatment.
According to him, the two persons were suffering from pneumonia though they were poultry farmers.
“If any such patient is admitted, we don't have basic infrastructure and equipment to offer treatment,” he said adding that they have also asked
the government to provide
necessary help in this regard.
The move comes after government officials have said that no person has been infected with the virus and the virus has not spread in other parts of the country except Kakadbhitta. On January 16, the government had confirmed the outbreak of bird flu virus in Jhapa. Following this, health workers had killed more than 23,000 chickens and ducks in the eastern district.
Chicken destroyed GAUR
A patrol of security men from the Armed Police Force’s Border Security Office at Bakul, Gaur, caught and destroyed chicken worth Rs 25,000 that were being illegally imported from India.
Though the government has banned import of poultry products in the wake of bird flu threat, smugglers had been illegally importing birds regularly, the police said. Mahesh Kumar Shrestha, SP of APF, said the chicken were killed in the presence of respected people of the society.


Posted on: 2009-01-25 20:59:14 (Server Time)

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnew...php&nid=177223

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by niman

Separate ward to treat bird flu patients in BPKIHS


He also dismissed rumours that two bird flu patients were admitted at the hospital for treatment.
According to him, the two persons were suffering from pneumonia though they were poultry farmers.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnew...php&nid=177223

The above confirms that both suspect H5N1 cases were poultry farmers and at least one of the two was said to have been transferred there.

The two were not bird flu patients, because bird flu had not YET been confirmed.