Pakistan-BF Suspected Human Cases Feb 02, 2008 +

[HenryN]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02050802/Karachi_WHO_Samples.html

[HenryN]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100&#37;" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=padlrt8 colSpan=2>Pakistan poultry workers being tested for bird flu <!-- headline one : end -->
</TD></TR><TR><TD class="georgia11 padcell8" colSpan=2><!-- more than 7 paragraphs --><!-- story content : start -->ISLAMABAD - HEALTH authorities in Pakistan are doing tests on 12 workers from a farm where the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in poultry, a Health Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
Authorities confirmed on Monday an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu at a poultry farm on the outskirts of Karachi, the second case in four days in the country's biggest city.
Twelve workers from the farm had been isolated and were being tested by a team from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the ministry spokesman said.
'They have been isolated and now a WHO team is there and is going to take another sample. Preliminary samples were taken and found negative but the WHO wants to confirm it,' said the spokesman, Orya Maqbool Jan Abbasi.
The H5N1 virus was first detected in Pakistan in early 2006. Pakistan's first human case, which resulted in a death, was confirmed in December.
Authorities have found several outbreaks in poultry and other birds in North West Frontier Province, Islamabad and most recently Karachi, where the new outbreak was found on a farm 300 metres from where the virus was detected last week.
<!-- show media links starting at 7th para -->Tests were also being done on samples taken from poultry in Punjab province but no outbreak had been confirmed, Mr Abbasi said.
'There have been a few incidents in which birds have died but it could be due to other conditions, maybe the weather and poor heating. It's the first time in 50 or 60 years that such low temperatures have been faced by the Punjab people,' he said.
A woman had been tested for the virus in Peshawar, in North West Frontier Province, but found to be negative, he said.
In December, the World Health Organisation said it had established a single case of human infection of bird flu in a sick family in North West Frontier Province, but there was no apparent risk of its spreading further. The man died.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has banned the import of chickens and poultry form Pakistan because of the bird flu outbreak, an Afghan border security official said.
'We have very strict orders from Kabul,' Afghan border police official Akhtar Jan told Reuters in the town of Spin Boldak, one of two main official border-crossing points between the neighbours. 'We're not allowing any vehicle from Pakistan carrying chickens, chicken meat or eggs,' he said. Afghanistan first detected the H5N1 virus in poultry in early 2006. -- REUTERS

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=131341

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http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Asia/STIStory_203738.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02...O_Samples.html

Commentary

WHO Requests Additional Samples from Karachi Cullers

Recombinomics Commentary 07:51
February 5, 2008

A joint team of national and international health agencies has taken some more samples from three suspected patients, who were shifted from the bird flu-infected poultry farm in Gadap to the Civil Hospital Karachi on Friday.

Sindh Deputy Secretary Health Dr Shakeel Mullick, who is also the focal person on bird flu in humans, on Monday night said that throat, nasal and blood samples were taken in the presence of a committee comprising representatives of the World Health Organisation, the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, and the federal and provincial health ministries. They had been sent to the NIH laboratory in Islamabad and the result was expected after 72 hours, he added.

CHK Medical Superintendent Dr Kaleem Butt said that the team took fresh samples as those taken earlier were not helpful for the NIH laboratory tests.

The above comments describe requests for new sample collections from the three patients in isolation from the first cull near Karachi. PCR and viral sequencing and isolation tests use throat and nasal swabs, which were not likely taken earlier. Blood samples can detect a rise in antibodies, but the rise is optimal on samples collected weeks after onset dates. Thus, paired serum samples can be used to detect H5N1 infections, but early results and viral isolation require swab collections.

The lack of swab collections, as revealed above, is even more glaring in India and Bangladesh. Neither country has ever reported a human H5N1 case, and the failures to detect cases may be related to testing procedures.

Although swabs require collections at the appropriate time, media reports of sample collections in India and Bangladesh fail to mention the collection of nasal and throat swabs. These efforts do not guarantee positives in H5N1 infected patients. In Turkey, throat swabs from the four siblings were negative, although three died. The fatal cases were positive when fluid from the lungs was tested. Thus, the nasal and throat swabs may also generate false negatives, especially if collected too early or after the start of Tamiflu treatment.

Although false negatives are common, limiting testing to initial serum collections, virtually assures a negative result.


.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02...rachi_WHO.html

Commentary

WHO Team Visits Karachi

Recombinomics Commentary 06:34
February 5, 2008

Meanwhile, a team comprising representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) arrived in the city to assess the measures taken by hospitals for treatment of infectious diseases, in particular bird flu.

?The team brought some protective equipment and medicines against bird flu,? said Special Secretary Health, Dr Capt. Abdul Majid.

He added that they also shared some information about the virus with local officials. They visited Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), where three workers of the infected poultry farm had been kept under observation, as well as the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where an isolation ward was being set up, the official said.

The above comments describe the arrival of a team from the WHO and the inspection of isolation wards in the Karachi area. Included in the tour are members of the Pakistan NIH. This investigation is in marked contrast to the earlier outbreak, which was not made public until at least two infected patients had died, and the human to human transmission chain had grown for over a month.

The presence of a WHO team on the ground signals concerns over the earlier outbreak (along with a new suspect case in Peshawar) and reports of new bird cases in the south (and cullers in isolation). The WHO will review plans and procedures on the human side (see satellite maps here and here). Pakistan hospital throughout the country are on high alert.

In the earlier outbreak, samples degraded during the delay in notifications, and WHO labs could only confirm H5N1 in one of ten samples.


.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08

<table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr><td class="contentheading" width="100&#37;"> Bird-Flu: Journalists asked to focus on positive, factual reporting

</td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):

Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Prince Esa Jan Baloch here on Wednesday asked the journalists to focus on factual, objective and positive reporting to check spread of misconceptions and misinformation regarding the outbreak of bird flu in the country.
Addressing a press conference, following the coordination meeting between Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL), Ministry of Health and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination here, the minister stressed upon the media persons to join hands with the government in spreading factual and correct information about the bird flu issue.
The minister was flanked by Federal Minister for Health, Ijaz Rahim, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr. Muhammad Amjad and other high-ups.
The MINFAL minister was of the view that the bird flu was not issue of Pakistan only, adding that all the countries where the migratory birds go, do face this problem. However, he said, the press of other countries never exaggerates the situation as is witnessed in case of Pakistan.


He said that there was not a single case in the world where a person was reported to have died after touching the affected poultry meat.

There is no possibility of bird flu outbreak and the prevailing rumours about the spread of disease are only based on incomplete information, he added.


He said the government was closely monitoring the situation and had taken appropriate steps to ensure timely containment of any human cases of Avian Influenza (if any), adding that government had cordoned three square kilometer area of the suspected chicken-farm in Karachi and culled birds there.
The minister said that all the concerned departments of the provinces have been put on high alert to deal with any untoward situation.
“People must not fear, they can eat chicken and egg as usual as there is no threat of bird flu,” the minister said adding that government has been vigilant to ensure provision of hygienic meat in the markets.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Amjad, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination said, besides, Karachi there were no reports of bird flu from any part of the country adding that government has already taken measures and culled the chicken of the suspected farm in Karachi.
To a question, Dr. Amjad said that government was providing vaccine to check diseases among chicken adding that even the broiler birds are provided locally produced vaccine.
He was of the view that since the intrusion of bird flu in 2002, there were just two reports of bird flu deaths, adding that even these deaths were not sure to have been caused by the bird flu


http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?o...28034&Itemid=2

[tropical]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

Re: WHO Board Sets Course On IP, Avian Flu, Tighter Publication Policy
<HR style="COLOR: #cccccc" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->WHO:
"... The final text of all publications will be cleared by the relevant assistant director-general or regional director before publication. Publications that describe the workings of a particular government or national health service or that have policy implications for the organisation or address controversial health-related issues will require additional clearance by the director-generals office. ..."

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD>

Bird flu scare blown out of proportion

</TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Shafqat Ali
</TD></TR><TR><TD>ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Prince Esa Jan Baloch said Wednesday that media had blown the bird flu issue out of proportion, adding not a single person had ever died of the disease.

"Bird flu is not an issue of Pakistan alone. All the countries where the migratory birds visit do face this problem. The only difference is that the media of other countries do not exaggerate the situation," Baloch said at a news conference here. "There is not a single case in the world where a person has been reported to have died after touching the affected poultry meat. There is no possibility of bird flu outbreak and the prevailing rumours about the spread of the disease are only based on incomplete information."

Baloch was flanked by Federal Minister for Health Ijaz Rahim, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Dr Muhammad Amjad and senior officials.

He said the government was closely monitoring the situation and had taken appropriate steps to ensure timely containment of human cases of Avian Influenza (if any), adding that government had cordoned off three square kilometre area of the suspected chicken-farm in Karachi and culled birds there. The minister said all the concerned departments of the provinces had been put on high alert to deal with any untoward situation. "People must not fear, they can eat chicken and egg as usual as there is no threat of bird flu", the minister said, adding that government had been vigilant to ensure provision of hygienic meat in the markets.

Baloch asked the journalists to focus on factual, objective and positive reporting to check spread of misconceptions and misinformation regarding the outbreak of bird flu in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Dr Muhammad Amjad said there were no reports of bird flu from any part of the country other than Karachi, adding that government had already taken measures and culled the chicken of the suspected farm in Karachi.

To a question, Dr Amjad said that government was providing vaccine to check poultry diseases, adding that even the broiler birds were provided locally produced vaccine.

He said since the intrusion of bird flu in 2002, there were just two reports of bird flu deaths, adding that even these deaths were not sure to have been caused by the bird flu.

Earlier, the federal ministers attended the co-ordination meeting between Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL), Ministry of Health and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-ordination
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http://thepost.com.pk/MainNews.aspx?..._id=2&catid=14

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

Separate wards established for Bird Flu patients: MS KTH

PeSHAWAR?Medical report of presumed Bird Flu infected Women has been declared negative and no sign of H5N1 has been found, Doctor Mukhtiar Associated Professor and head of department of pulmonology along with MS KTH Kushdil Khan disclosed this in a news briefing at Khyber Teaching Hospital on Wednesday.
While briefing to media men Dr. Mukhtiar said that not a single positive case had been reported yet in the province and as a reactionary measures our surveillance teams were monitoring and collecting samples from the persons who were being in contact with the poultry business in any means however he showed his fear that Pakistan might enter alert 4th stage of World Health Organization (WHO).
?WHO has divided bird flu into six stages, the world is facing 3rd phase, which might extend to further fourth, fifth and sixth stages of bird flu, which may cause hundreds of thousands of lives,? Dr. Afridi feared.
Last year some 57 outbreaks were reported in the country and in this year 3 cases are reported up to now, in KTH ten private rooms with the help of WHO are converted into isolation ward as before there was not an isolation ward in KTH, Dr. Mukhtiar said adding that they were planning to establish a separate isolation ward for the Avian Influenza patients in KTH.
He warned that if Avian Influenza converted to Pandemic Influenza (third type of Influenza), which rapidly spreads from person to person might cause of killing hundred of thousands with in few days.
Minnat Khan (husband of admitted women) thanked to hospital doctors and all the concerned staff, which he added treated his wife with a good manner and handled the case in an efficient and proper way. He revealed that on 28th January his wife was examined by a local doctor as she was suffering from fever and Flu, but on 31st of January another doctor examined his wife and took samples from her and sent it to Islamabad for test and admitted her in isolated ward for fearing bird flu in a bid to keep other patients safe from the disease in KTH. He, however, said that today on 6th February, the doctors told him that the reports of his wife were negative and no sign of N5H1 virus had found.
Kush Dil Khan, MS KTH, while explaining the test process said that they isolated the expected woman on the basis of doubt of bird flu, while in other cases first they confirmed the disease and then if the doctors found such kind of more case, would be admitted in isolated ward, all because there is no chance of mistake for them, as bird Flu disease which causes by virus have enough potential to spread within a very limited time.
For the precautionary measures MS KTH said that vaccination for Influenza was very important as it caused to decrease the probability of infection from H5N1 virus, chicken meal should be cooked on above 70 degree centigrade heat, he urged the poultry dealers and workers of the firms to use mouth mask and gloves when visit to poultry forms as it 90 percent deduct the chance to be infect through air. http://pakobserver.net/news/nwfp05.asp

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#f4faff><TD class=small_txt height=20>Nawabshah braces for bird flu</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#efefef></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=small_txt>Thursday, February 07, 2008
By our correspondent

NAWABSHAH: Executive district officer Health said on Wednesday no case of bird flu has been detected in the district, however an isolation ward has been set up at the Nawabshah Medical College Hospital as a precautionary measure.

EDO Health Dr Arif Qazi said medicines of bird flu have been provided to all the hospitals of the district and isolation wards set up. He said teams of doctors are alert to deal with any bird flu case.

He said the citizens were free to use poultry as it was safe from the disease.

The news of bird flu has sharply dropped the rates of poultry and farm eggs. Poultry meat was selling at Rs 100 per kg against the price of Rs 140 prior to bird flu news.

Poultry retailers have said chicken sale has considerably dropped while the meat sellers have increased the rates of meat.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=95036</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#f4faff><TD class=small_txt height=20>WHO team visits poultry farms in Gadap; isolation ward set up at Baqai University</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#efefef></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=small_txt>Thursday, February 07, 2008
By our correspondent

Karachi

A team of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Institute of Health, Islamabad, on Wednesday visited the two poultry farms in Gadap Town where the existence of H5N1 strain of bird flu was confirmed after laboratory tests.

The team took the statements of poultry workers and also visited a basic health unit in the locality and Baqai Medical University on the Super Highway to assess health facilities there in case of any emergency.

?We have requested the Baqai hospital for setting up an isolation ward in order to meet any eventuality,? said deputy secretary health Dr Shakil Mullick and added that they have received positive response.

The Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), being run by the federal government, had reportedly turned down the request of the Sindh government for setting up a separate isolation ward to deal with possible bird flu patients.

?The WHO team visited the JPMC two days ago and today they again visited the hospital and gave us some guidelines about the bird flu virus,? said deputy director JPMC Dr Seemin Jamali. She admitted that the health department had requested the hospital administration for setting up an isolation ward, but added that they could not entertain the request due to some reasons. ?We have reserved two rooms in the hospital in case any human being infected with the virus is brought in,? she said.

An isolation ward has already been set up at the Civil Hospital, Karachi where three poultry workers have been put under observation. Dr Mullick said that they have yet to receive a laboratory test report from Islamabad about the workers.

The officials said that the purpose of the WHO-NIH team?s visit was two-fold, namely to assess safety and treatment measures of the health department and provide necessary equipment and medicines and other things to deal with any eventuality.

Provincial Coordinator on bird flu, Dr Ali Akbar Soomro, said that two teams of poultry experts visited the affected area near Dumba Goth off Super Highway. He said they were conducting research to ascertain as to what caused the outbreak of bird flu.

He said that he had received reports vis-a-vis bird flu from all district headquarters of the Sindh and the reports were ?satisfactory?.

Dr Soomro said that the poultry experts also held a meeting with the WHO-NIH team in which steps to control the virus were also discussed. He said it was decided to ensure a vaccine programme for birds, besides adopting bio-security measures and initiating awareness programmes among farmers and general public as well. He said that people keeping pets would also be informed about precautionary measures.

He said that they have given safety/protection kits to poultry workers and so far no report of human infection has been reported, indicating less severity of the virus.

Dr Soomro said that they would take samples from utensils being used at farms, remains of animal feed, dust, environment and trees etc again after three weeks to find any trace of the virus there.

He said that, if no virus was found on these things, they would ask the farm owners for incinerating of the area to eliminate any risk of virus or germs. He said that the farm owners would be allowed to bring birds after three months.

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=95047

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

Retail price of chicken shoots up, wholesale price plunges
* Roadside restaurants buying dead chicken at cheap rates from wholesale markets

By Terence J Sigamony

RAWALPINDI: The price of chicken in the retail market has shot up, contrary to a sharp decline in the wholesale market.

Following the confirmation of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in a couple of Karachi?s poultry farms last week, the price of chicken has plunged sharply during the last few days.

Retailers and wholesale dealers attributed this decline to the dwindling demand by people, fast food outlets and hotels. Chicken?s price plunged to Rs 85 per kg as compared to Rs 120 per kg last week, while the live bird?s retail price has declined to Rs 50 per kg from Rs 72 per kg.

At Raja Bazaar, Dongi Khoi and Dhoke Ratta chicken is being sold at Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg, whereas in posh and commercial areas like Tariqabad, Westridge, Tulsa Road, Tench Bhatta, Committee Chowk, Sadar, Dhoke Kashmirian, RA Bazaar and Commercial Market, its rate is Rs 72 to Rs 75 per kg. Two days ago, the rate of chicken in these markets was Rs 70, which has now gone up to Rs 73 to Rs 74.

In contrast, chicken was being sold at Rs 3,600 per 40 kg last week at the wholesale Ghanzi Market at Bagh Sardaran, which has now declined to Rs 2,200 per 40 kg. Chicken to this market comes from various poultry farms of Bhara Khau and Murree.

Roadside restaurants: During a visit, Daily Times found that dead chicken were also being sold in the wholesale market. Requesting anonymity, a dealer said that roadside restaurants bought the dead chicken at a cheap rate, adding that the restaurant owners believed that after cooking, the chicken posed no threat to human health.

Shopkeepers said the increase in price was due to the widening gap between demand and supply. Jamshaid Khan, a salesman, said they were getting less supply of chicken for the last three days. He said its demand had not decreased and people were still consuming chicken.

Poultry Farms Association President Dr Hassan Sarosh said the decrease in the price was due to rumours of bird flu in the country. He said as soon as bird flu was reported in the media, wholesale dealers had decreased the price, as they had feared of a decrease in demand.

He said businessmen had invested around Rs 200 billion in the poultry industry and 1.5 million people were attached to the industry. He said there were 25,000 poultry farms in the country. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-2-2008_pg11_5

[tropical]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

"Roadside restaurants buying dead chicken at cheap rates from wholesale markets"

Now we see the main contamination spreaders - we can only imagin what kind of dead chicken market thrive in the rural areas.

[Treyfish]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

PESHAWAR: Suspected bird flu patient tests negative



<CENTER>By Ashfaq Yusufzai</CENTER>
PESHAWAR, Feb 6: A sample collected from a suspected patient of bird flu has tested negative, say hospital authorities.

Prof Dr Mukhtiar Zaman Afridi, in charge of the isolation ward at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), said that the patient from Khyber Agency admitted to the hospital on January 31, was sent home on Wednesday. Flanked by Dr Khushdil Khan, medical superintendent of the hospital, he said that admitting patient to the makeshift 10-bed isolation unit didn?t mean that they had got avian influenza. ?No case of human to human transmission of the disease has been reported so far,? he added.

Dr Afridi said that bird flu was 90 per cent curable through medication. The vaccines, he said, provided safety from the disease for six months. The virus causing the disease mostly strikes in freezing temperature, he said advising the people to use soap and detergent powder that kill the virus.

?To save the human, we have to protect the birds from the disease by putting in place a strong surveillance system,? he added. The people suffering from high temperature, pneumonia, flu and soar throats should contact the doctors, he said.Dr Afridi said that bird flu pandemic visited the world after every 40 years and the World Health Organisation already issued alert regarding the looming threat of the epidemic in year 2008. The disease, he said had entered third level and it could hit 35 per cent of the population globally if it went to fourth level.

He said that feasibility report had been sent to the government for the establishment of two respiratory isolation units (RIUs), one each at the KTH and Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. The WHO, he said had expressed willingness to provide $500,000 for the two wards, but it wanted the government to bear some expenditure.

The two wards, once established would help the treatment of the patients suspected of carrying H5N1 strain of virus, he said.

WORKSHOP: A workshop organised By Livestock and Dairy Development department was attended by livestock officers from all the districts.

Progress and scenario regarding causes of spread of the virus and precautions measures came under discussion in the workshop. http://www.dawn.com/2008/02/07/local30.htm

[tropical]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

I missed new evaluations here at FT/CDC/WHO maybe?
I think the reporter mixed things here, or the doctor was bwashed from the blanket.

"Dr Afridi said that bird flu was 90 per cent curable through medication.
The morbidity is already 60-80%, how then 90% curable?
The vaccines, he said, provided safety from the disease for six months."
Yes, he means vaccinations for the chickens? Or not?

[Giuseppe]

Re: Pakistan-BF suspected humans 2/2/08 +

The latest WHO-led scientific report on H5N1 in human - available elsewhere in this forum - states that in non-antivirals-treated patients case fatality rate is almost 90 per cent; converserly, in treated patients cfr reduced at 53 per cent.