China's bird flu response slammed

[AlaskaDenise]

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/World/20...f-2208077.html

November 2, 2006

By CP

The World Health Organization aimed a broadside at the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture yesterday.

The WHO blasted the ministry for not alerting the global community about a new variant of the worrisome H5N1 avian flu virus.

The health group also took aim at the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture for hoarding virus samples and for not doing enough to contain the spread of H5N1 in poultry.

The WHO's top representative for China also suggested the ministry may be selectively reporting findings of H5N1 in poultry, only advising international authorities of large outbreaks.

"What we sense from the Ministry of Agriculture ... is that they are reporting the major outbreaks," Dr. Henk Bekedam said.

"They might not report if they find here and there a virus."

Under international rules, countries are required to report any discovery of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus such as H5N1 to the World Organization for Animal Health -- known as the OIE.

.

[chicken little]

By all means press China as hard as we can but be aware that China will do what it has always done..precisely as it will.Why? ...because it can. It is too big to bother. China is big...we have to be smarter. Whoo...

[AlaskaDenise]

China is not the only country that fits that characterization.

The US, Canada, and some European nations are not 100% transparent on this issue.

China has recently made an almost complete reversal of its prior position, which is to be commended.

.

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by AlaskaDenise

China is not the only country that fits that characterization.

The US, Canada, and some European nations are not 100% transparent on this issue.

China has recently made an almost complete reversal of its prior position, which is to be commended.

.

Yes, China's pandemic preparedness plan dated Jan 6, 2006 had up to date data which clearly showed that the Fujian strain was spreading

http://www.recombinomics.com/phylo/H..._MOH_2006.html

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04...ead_China.html

and the FAO report on outbreaks in 2005 cited use of SEVERAL vaccines, which was a STRONG signal that the old vaccines were not working

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11...ng_Spread.html

[Snowy Owl]

Thank you for this historical perspective Dr Niman.

[Dutchy]

China says no evidence of new bird flu strain

02 Nov 2006 10:23:35 GMT

BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - China has found no evidence of a new strain of H5N1 bird flu in its southern provinces and said on Thursday there was no need to share virus samples with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Scientists in Hong Kong and the United States said in a report released this week they had detected a new strain of bird flu, first isolated in the southern Chinese province of Fujian last year, that may have started outbreaks in Southeast Asia.

But China rejected the report, published in the U.S.-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (www.pnas.org), saying there was no evidence of major changes to the virus since 2004.

"Up to now, the bird flu viruses selected from the south share a high uniformity," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news conference.

"There has no marked change in the biological characteristics of the organisms."

China, home to the world's biggest poultry population, has been at the centre of the fight against bird flu, which scientists fear could mutate into a form that can pass easily between people, potentially leading to a pandemic.

It has battled dozens of outbreaks in birds, and seen at least 21 human cases, including 14 deaths.

But the World Health Organisation says its understanding of the virus and how it might be changing is being hampered by the fact China has not shared animal virus samples since 2004.

"It's our understanding that there have been certainly changes in the virus and continual evolution in the virus since 2004 and the viruses that we requested from 2005 have still not been shared with WHO," said Julie Hall, the WHO's bird flu coordinator in Beijing.

The point was not whether there were major differences in virus strains, she said: it was about being able to keep abreast of changes, however minute, to better understand how the virus is developing.

"Whether it be dramatic or significant, it's about that regular understanding so that we can see that we're keeping on top of this," Hall said.

China was criticised for its initial cover-up of the SARS virus, which first emerged in its southern province of Guangdong in 2003, but the government has defended its handling of bird flu, saying it has been promptly reporting outbreaks.

Liu said China was maintaining "close cooperative relations" with the WHO and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation in dealing with H5N1.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK282865.htm

[HenryN]

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11...ding_More.html

[MHSC]

China rebukes US report on bird flu strain

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-02 22:22 China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected a report by the U.S.-based National Academy of Sciences that a new strain of H5N1 bird flu has been found in the south of the country.

"The continuous surveillance since 2004 has found no evidence of major mutations to the virus and the biological characteristics of the bird flu viruses selected from the south share a high uniformity," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
A report about a new strain of H5N1 bird flu in southern China was released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, saying it was found in almost all poultry outbreaks and some human cases.


Liu said the findings of mutations to the virus in the northern China have been reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).


"China has cooperated closely with the WHO and the FAO and shares all information on bird flu and the virus with the international community," said Liu.


http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2...ent_723290.htm

Are Liu's remarks the final, minor, otherwise inconsequential straw that will break the flu camel's back?

What is the definition of a major mutation?
What is the definition of a minor mutation?
What is the definition of a mutation?
How many minor mutations equal or come close to equalling a major mutation?

Without these facts, Liu's statement is uninterpretable.

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by GaudiaRay

Are Liu's remarks the final, minor, otherwise inconsequential straw that will break the flu camel's back?

What is the definition of a major mutation?
What is the definition of a minor mutation?
What is the definition of a mutation?
How many minor mutations equal or come close to equalling a major mutation?

Without these facts, Liu's statement is uninterpretable.

Major mutation equals reassortent equals fairy tales.

This is the WHO cruel hoax being replayed to them. All countries (China, Indonesia, Thailand, etc) cite this fairy tale to reassure.

It comes right out of WHO's play book (aka situation updates).

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by GaudiaRay

Are Liu's remarks the final, minor, otherwise inconsequential straw that will break the flu camel's back?

What is the definition of a major mutation?
What is the definition of a minor mutation?
What is the definition of a mutation?
How many minor mutations equal or come close to equalling a major mutation?

Without these facts, Liu's statement is uninterpretable.

From WHO's situation update on first human cases in Indonesia

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_07_29c/en/index.html

"Genotyping of the PCR-amplified isolate from the confirmed case shows high homogeneity with other H5N1 isolates from poultry in Java, and no evidence of reassortment."

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by GaudiaRay

Are Liu's remarks the final, minor, otherwise inconsequential straw that will break the flu camel's back?

What is the definition of a major mutation?
What is the definition of a minor mutation?
What is the definition of a mutation?
How many minor mutations equal or come close to equalling a major mutation?

Without these facts, Liu's statement is uninterpretable.

WHO update on first cluster in Vietnam

"Virus genetic materials from two fatal cases in this cluster – sisters aged 23 and 30 years – have now been fully sequenced by the Government Virus Unit of Hong Kong’s Department of Health. Both viruses are of avian origin and contain no human influenza genes."

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_02_06/en/index.html