Weekly Summaries

[sharon sanders]

The following is a summary of the week of February 18 – February 25, 2008

REGIONAL COLOR CODE: <st1>EUROPE</st1>, MIDDLE EAST, <st1>ASIA</st1>, <st1>NORTH AMERICA</st1>, AUSTRALIA/NZ, <st1>AFRICA</st1>
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CASE REPORTS:


PEOPLE

• Prior Countries
  • China - 3 Confirmed deaths: One man, 22, from Hunan Province, died January 24th. One man, 41, from Guangxi Province, died February 20th . One woman, 44, from Guangdong Province, died February 27th. Commentary
  • Indonesia – 2 Confirmed cases: one boy, 16, from Java, died February 10th, one boy, 3, from Jakarta, died, February 15th. 1 suspected case: one child, from South Sulawesi, hospitalized February 24.
  • Vietnam - 1 Suspected death adds to previous 3 confirmed deaths this year: One man, 40, from South Vietnam (Bac Lieu province) died February 19th. One man, 27, from North Vietnam (Ninh Binh province) died February 14th. One man, 40, from North Vietnam (Hai Duong province) died February 13th. One man, 32, from North Vietnam (Tuyen Quang province) died January 18th. Also there are reportedly "some" suspected cases in Northern provinces. Commentary.
  • Egypt - 3 suspected cases here and 6 suspected cases here. Historically in Egypt most cases are determined not to be H5N1 after testing. Late addition - One girl, 4, from Minya Province, tested positive tonight for H5N1. She is in a hospital in Cairo.

ANIMALS

• Prior Cases
  • Bangladesh – 50&#37; of the poultry farms infected. Mass cullings, 5 million unemployed. Large monetary losses to poultry sector (approx. 600,000,000 USD).
  • Pakistan – Karachi area – Poultry farm, Commentary
  • Indonesia - South Sumatra - Chickens
  • China - Fourth bird flu outbreak in poultry this year: this one in Guizhou, two previous in southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region and one in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
  • India - Suspected H5N1 in Poultry facility in Jharkhand
  • Vietnam - Bird flu has been confirmed in fowl in seven provinces, namely Thai Nguyen, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Tuyen Quang and Quang Ninh in the north, Quang Binh in the central region and Long An in the south.
• New Cases
  • India – Crows suspected bird flu in Calcutta, map.

OTHER REPORTS

• Indonesia sends H5N1 samples to the CDC. Nancy Cox, M.D. said Indonesia's health ministry shipped 15 clinical samples to the CDC on Feb 22. She said the samples are from two patients whose infections were confirmed by the WHO on Feb 5 and Feb 12. The two patients were a 27-year-old woman from a Jakarta suburb who died on Feb 2 and a 15-year-old girl from another Jakarta suburb who was hospitalized with an H5N1 infection after her mother died of the disease.
• Study - Avian influenza H5N1 virus in mosquitoes collected from Thai poultry farm in 2005.
• All 3 seasonal influenza components to be changed for next season.

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[sharon sanders]

Re: Weekly Summaries

The following is a summary of the week of February 26th – March 3rd, 2008

REGIONAL COLOR CODE: <st1>EUROPE</st1>, MIDDLE EAST, <st1>ASIA</st1>, <st1>THE AMERICA</st1>S, AUSTRALIA/NZ, <st1>AFRICA</st1>
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CASE REPORTS:


PEOPLE

• Prior Countries
  • Indonesia – 2 suspected cases (father and child) are hospitalized and are residents of Klaten in Central Sumatra.
  • Vietnam - A woman, 23, from Phu Tho province in North Vietnam, H5N1 death now confirmed, commentary, 2 more suspected cases - 23 year old person from **** Yen and a 48 year old person from Thai Nguyen, both in North Vietnam, on respirators.
  • Egypt - A girl,4, from Menia is hospitalized in Cairo. A woman, 25, from Fayoum, near Cairo, tested positive for bird flu on Saturday, the 45th confirmed human case in Egypt. Sister now hospitalized as a suspect case of AI. Commentary.
    
  • Thailand - A man, 57, from the northeastern province Chaiyaphum is suspected H5N1 victim.

ANIMALS

• Prior Cases
  • Bangladesh – Poultry & fowl culled: Chittagong district - 2,333, Pabna district - 2,804, Mymensingh - 58,130, 776 in Ashulia district. Also destroyed thousands of eggs.
  • Pakistan – Karachi - 4th outbreak in February, 10,000 chickens culled.
    
  • Indonesia - S. Sumatra - 5000 infected poultry, Central Sumatra "dozens" of poultry, "hundreds" of poultry in Central Java
    
  • China - China's Ministry of Agriculture said in some areas increased possibility of disease risk.
  • Vietnam - H5N1 poultry infections in Northern provinces of Phu Tho and Ha Nam have brought the number of the nation’s epidemic-hit cities and provinces to nine.
• New Cases
  • Iraq - Poultry infected in Basra area. Commentary
  • UK - Goose tests positive in Dorset, Commentary

OTHER REPORTS

• Vietnam - Ministry Warns of Bird Flu Reemergence
• Egypt - enforcing transportation of poultry restrictions.
• Canada - "No one ready for next crisis", nurses warn. Five years after a deadly SARS outbreak, Ontario still isn't ready to manage a large-scale infectious disease outbreak.
• Brazil Yellow fever deaths rise to 19 in Brazil
• Influenza A H5N1 Immigration Is Filtered Out at Some International Borders
• Bangladesh - Medical officials confirm 8 killed by Nipah virus
• Influenza viruses coat themselves in fatty material that hardens and protects them in colder temperatures
• Egypt receives help from Japan for education programs, video available.
• USA - All children - not just those under 5 - should get vaccinated against the flu, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday.
• An experimental combination vaccine that uses so-called virus-like particles (VLPs) fully protected monkeys against the deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses, U.S. researchers say.
• Study - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Domestic Poultry and Relationship with Migratory Birds, South Korea
• Tamiflu resistence appears in Japan.
• More than 500 villagers in a northern Philippine province have been admitted in hospitals for typhoid fever over the past two weeks.
• U.S. issues a Warden Message about Indonesia: "The Embassy further encourages Americans resident in Indonesia to be vigilant about food preparation and the handling of poultry or eggs and to wash hands after touching uncooked poultry or poultry products. A number of pathogens can reside in uncooked poultry and eggs in addition to influenza."

[sharon sanders]

Re: Weekly Summaries

The following is a summary of the week of March 4 - March 10, 2008

REGIONAL COLOR CODE: <st1>EUROPE</st1>, MIDDLE EAST, <st1>ASIA</st1>, <st1>NORTH AMERICA</st1>, AUSTRALIA/NZ, <st1>AFRICA</st1>


CASE REPORTS:


PEOPLE

• Prior Countries
  • Indonesia – Various suspected cases have tested negative for bird flu.
  • Vietnam - The Central Hygiene Epidemic Institute reported cases of acute pneumonia suspected of stemming from avian influenza this year, including four deaths. However, the report is unclear and there are no details. Also, the stock of tamiflu at Vietnam’s leading institute for treating bird flu is dated while the epidemic is growing increasingly out-of-control, the institute’s deputy director said at a meeting Wednesday.
  • Egypt - A boy, 8, H5N1 infection #47, from Fayyum province was diagnosed with avian influenza on 8 March, bringing to four the number of human cases in the past two weeks and raising fresh fears of a pandemic. A 25-year-old woman from Fayyum, the 45th case, died on 4 March, bringing the total number of avian flu deaths to 20. Commentary

ANIMALS

• Prior Cases
  • Bangladesh – 47 out of 64 districts are now infected. Bird flu had caused losses of about Tk 4,500 crore ($650 million) to the poultry sector, which accounts for 1.6 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the Bangladesh Poultry Association. Around five million are directly or indirectly involved in poultry farming, of whom officials estimate more than 1,500,000 have now become jobless.
  • India - Fresh cases of bird flu have been detected in 2 Murshidabad villages, weeks after the Bengal government said culling operations were over and lifted the state-wide ban on selling chickens and ducks. Commentary
  • China - The Ministry of Agriculture said Monday it has received the reports of 12 bird flu cases this year, warning a more "complicated" epidemic control situation this year. Three of the 12 cases have been confirmed, with two in Tibet Autonomous Regionand one in Guizhou Province, both in southwest China, said Li Jinxiang, director of the ministry's veterinary department.
  • Vietnam - The northern province of Tuyen Quang reported an outbreak in Son Duong District. Northern Vietnam is seeing a massive outspread of bird flu epidemic as eight out of the 12 provinces hit by the epidemic nationwide are in the north, including Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Tuyen Quang and Hanoi. Central provinces affected include Quang Nam and Quang Binh. The southern provinces of Tra Vinh and Vinh Long are also hit.

OTHER REPORTS

• Regarding the 15 samples of H5N1 from 2 recent victims in Indonesia - "CDC has received the samples and run tests on the samples. The result is it is still H5N1. It hasn't mutated. Meaning it is endemic among fowl and can be transferred from fowl to human,"
• H5N1 Pandemic Vaccine Selection Trails Clade 2.2 Changes
• In Pakistan a draft legislative package was being prepared to allow the technical staff of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) to collect samples of chicks from poultry-farms without seeking permission in order to stop the spread of deadly bird flu virus before its outbreak.
• In Quebec Nunavik pandemic plan formulated.
• Proper veterinary service can check bird flu.
• Bird flu in West Bengal cost Andhra Pradesh poultry Rs 210 crore.
• Russia health experts say global bird flu threat is growing.
• The bird flu virus is "firmly entrenched" in Asia and a pandemic among humans remains possible, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert warned Wednesday.
• Avian influenza update: wild bird control area lifted in Dorset, UK.
• Canada Pandemic Preparedness Documentation.
• International symposium reports on the use of antivirals in patients with H5N1.
• FEMA (U.S.) Reimbursements During a Pandemic.
• Detection and isolation of H5N1 influenza virus from large volumes of natural water.
• Influenza A H5N1 Immigration Is Filtered Out at Some International Borders.
• U.S. - Pandemic Flu: Lack of Leadership and Disclosure Plague Vaccine Program.
• A multiplex real-time RT-PCR for detection and identification of influenza virus types A and B and subtypes H5 and N1
• Egypt - 3,150,000 poultry have been vaccinated recently.
• China - Chinese Academy of Science warns about H5N1 threat.

[sharon sanders]

Weekly Summary March 31st - April 7, 2008

The following is a summary of the week of March 31 – April 7, 2008

REGIONAL COLOR CODE: <st1>EUROPE</st1>, MIDDLE EAST, <st1>ASIA</st1>, <st1>NORTH AMERICA</st1>, AUSTRALIA/NZ, <st1>AFRICA</st1>
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CASE REPORTS:


PEOPLE

• Prior Countries
  • Egypt -a man, 19, from Beheira governorate, died of H5N1 April 4th, had contact with infected birds. Commentary, Map.
  • Indonesia - Central Java - 7 suspected cases may be a cluster, commentary, map. 1 girl,16, suspected H5N1 - tested negative. 1 woman,45, tests negative.

ANIMALS

• New Cases
  • Tibet - 268 poultry died from H5N1 on farm.
  • South Korea - 2 confirmed outbreaks of H5N1: In Gimje at a chicken farm & duck farm in Jeongeup. Commentary. 3rd suspected in Sunchang at a chicken farm. 4th suspected chicken farm at Gobu. Commentary. Map. OIE Report.
    
  • India - H5N1 tested positive in Tripura area. Various fowl, birds, and mammals found dead. Commentary.
  • Bangladesh - 2,300 fowls culled in Dinajpur due to H5N1.
  • Indonesia - Sulawesi - 400 chickens died of H5N1.

OTHER REPORTS

• Hong Kong - Suspends the import of poultry meat from South Korea.
• Canada - Ottawa area- An exercise to test the pandemic emergency response of municipalities within the county will occur this June.
• Pakistan - Family Cluster of November/December '07 confirmed by WHO. Final risk assessment suggested limited human to human transmission likely occurred. Commentary.
• Study - Hospital bedding source of infection
• Hawaii - The state's influenza testing capabilities have been increased to prepare for a potentially severe influenza season or pandemic, health officials report.
• North Carolina - LPAI plan in place.
• Hong Kong - Reports of SARS/Flu/ARI under influenza surveillance arrangement.
• North Vietnam - Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) occuring.
• Kansas - Pandemic preparation meeting April 17th.
• Indonesia - Java - Approximately 70&#37; of the regencies have bird flu in the environment.
• Study - Social Contacts and Mixing Patterns Relevant to the Spread of Infectious Diseases - Of all pooled reported contacts, 23%, 21%, 14%, 3%, and 16% are made at home, at work, at school, while travelling, and during leisure activities, respectively. More than half of all reported contacts occur at home, at work, or at school. It is interesting to note, however, that on a population level the overall number of reported contacts made during leisure activities is very close to the number of reported contacts made at school. A higher proportion of physical contacts are made at home, and leisure settings are the second most frequently reported location for such high intensity contacts.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Weekly Summaries

The following is a summary of the week of April 29th ? May 5th, 2008

REGIONAL COLOR CODE: <st1>EUROPE</st1>, MIDDLE EAST, <st1>ASIA</st1>, <st1>NORTH AMERICA</st1>, AUSTRALIA/NZ, <st1>AFRICA</st1>
<o></o>

CASE REPORTS:


PEOPLE

• Prior Countries
  • Egypt - Ministry of Health in Fayoum announces SUSPECTED H5N1 death in a man, 56.
  • Indonesia - A boy, 3, from Indonesia's main island of Java has died from bird flu. WHO confirmation. Map.

ANIMALS

• Prior Cases
  • South Korea - Bird flu outbreaks in Korea are spreading to Korea's southeast as poultry deaths from the H5 virus were reported in the cities of Busan and Daegu this week [28 Apr - 2 May 2008]. The cases came one day after 2 new cases were confirmed Thursday [1 May 2008] in Ulsan, 69 km (43 miles) from Busan and Yeongcheon, 35 km from Daegu, officials said yesterday. U.S. Embassy Warden Message. Commentary.
  • India - Approximately 160,000 poultry culled in 8 districts in Tripura. Approximately 150 cullers are being monitored. No human cases reported. OIE report.
    
• New Cases
  • Egypt - New poultry outbreak in Dakahlia. 15,000 chickens culled.
  • Japan - Japan confirms H5N1 in wild swans. Map OIE report. Commentary.

OTHER REPORTS

• Saudi Arabia - No bird flu in the wildlife says government
• Namru2 - Discussion of the potential ban from Indonensia of the Namru2 laboratory. The Department of Health to halt sending samples to NAMRU2.
• Indonesia - Bird flu hotline set up.
• Indonesia - Leptospirosis outbreak reported.
• Southeast Asia - The member countries's ASEAN country agreed to maintain the stability of the price of food to press the influence of the condition for the global market.
• Technology - A high-resolution image of an influenza virus protein opens the way to design new anti-viral drugs.
• China - EV71 rapidly spreading. 766 new cases registered in the past 24 hours in 10 provinces with approximately 11,900+ afflicted. 26 children have died - 22 in Anhui province and 3 in Guangdong province.
• Hong Kong - 3 cases of EV71 detected.
• Ethical considerations in developing a public health response to pandemic influenza - World Health Organization
• Bangladesh - The Local Enterprise Investment Centre (LEIC) has signed a contribution agreement with the Breeders Association of Bangladesh to assist them in creating awareness among the stakeholders and consumers, to follow required bio-security measures to prevent Avian Influenza.
• Rwanda - The government and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has come up with a contingency plan to fight and prevent the spread of Avian Flu on a regional basis.
• Macau - Nursery school HFMD outbreak
• Treatment - Researchers find quick way to make human monoclonal antibodies against flu.
  
• North Korea - Government sets up bird flu emergency office and begins to innoculate poultry against the virus.
• MRSA - New York health officials say they have recorded nearly 700 cases in the past two months.
• Ethics - In case of a pandemic, who gets to live? Report offers answers.
• Toronto - Chickens adopting urban lifestyle.
• Genetic Change - A genetic change in H5N1 in poultry in Indonesia and is immune to existing poultry vaccines being used to combat the virus is being reported by the Director General of Livestock and Breeding.