LAOS - Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

[Jeremy]

http://www.kfmb.com/stories/story.57976.html
Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak
Last Updated:
07-28-06 at 8:21AM
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Laos has confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu among chickens at a farm near the capital Vientiane, a foreign ministry spokesman said Friday.

Some 2,580 chickens were found dead last week at the poultry farm in Xaythany district, 15 miles south of Vientiane. Agriculture officials have culled an additional 3,500 chickens at the farm.

"Lab results confirmed that it is H5N1," Laos Foreign Ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalansy said.

The Vientiane Times said the same farm experienced a bird flu outbreak in 2004.

Bird flu has killed at least 134 people worldwide since it started ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003, according to WHO. Laos has reported no human deaths from the virus, though neighboring Thailand this week reported its 15th human fatality.

In October, the United States announced it was granting $3.4 million in aid for impoverished Laos to fend off the disease.

[Sharpe]

Re: Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

The Mekong River is incredible for it's ability to connect Qinghai and Tibet to southern Vietnam, connecting all six countries in the region to each other. http://www.dbr.nu/data/pubs/thesis/figs/map1.jpg

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=111866

Laos reports bird flu outbreak

Vientiane
An outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 2,000 chicken on a poultry farm close to the Mekong River in Laos, the government and UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said.

Veterinarians had slaughtered 6,000 more birds on the farm about 25 kilometres south of Vientiane, disinfected the cages and declared a five-kilometre surveillance zone, they said. The outbreak is just across the river from Thailand.

"The H5N1 strain has been confirmed for this particular farm," said foreign ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy on Friday.

"We have already taken all the measures deemed necessary to eradicate the virus. We have killed over 6,000 poultry on the farm and taken full measures according to the guidelines on bird flu."

The Xaythani district farm, which previously suffered a bird flu outbreak in early 2004, found 155 dead chickens on July 14, and about 2,000 dead birds the following day, said the FAO chief technical advisor on avian influenza in Laos, Ricarda Mondry.

"The farmer informed the ministry of agriculture, and they took samples and they tested them in the National Animal Health Centre laboratory and they were positive here for H5," the doctor said.

Samples were then sent to a Bangkok laboratory, where tests confirmed this week that the chicken had died of the H5N1 strain, she said.

"Now we are investigating in the surrounding area what is happening, whether the infection is coming from the outside, where the source of infections is," Mondry said.

"We are taking samples in a five-kilometre radius, where the movement is restricted now. Public awareness campaigns are being carried out in the villages."

In May this year Laos found the H5N1 virus in a single duck in a backyard farm near the capital Vientiane, but extensive testing in villages in following months had found no further cases.

Veterinarians are now investigating whether the source of the latest outbreak is free-roaming ducks, which can carry and spread the disease without showing symptoms themselves.

Laos has "had relatively limited H5N1 outbreaks, including some human. cases" but no human deaths from the virus, which has swept across Asia and beyond in several waves since 2003. Thailand this week reported its 15th human fatality.

Laos is landlocked. It borders Vietnam to the east, Thailand to the west and China to the north. All these countries have had large-scale bird flu outbreaks and human deaths in recent years. - (Agencies)

[Sharpe]

Re: Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

I don't know if anyone's interested, but I did some crude calculations on the Mekong river using the following statistics--if anyone can find better ones, I'd really appreciate it:

length: 4880 km
average depth: 6 m
average width: 500 m
average annual volume: 475 billion cubic meters / yr

My results were that along those 4880 km, it travels on average 0.6 m/s or 1.3 mph. That would mean that from Qinghai to Vientane, it would take about 38 days and for the whole trip 92 days. Considering that the outbreak at Lake Qinghai occurred on May 4th, that would mean that by June 12th, the water from that area would have made it to Vientane, and that by early July, all of southern and eastern Thailand would have been reached, and by August 6th (in a week), all of Cambodia and southern Vietnam. It's very interesting, anyway, if you ask me.

Regardless of whether or not this virus flowed downstream from Qinghai, no one can doubt that all those farmers dumping their dead chickens in the river (as people seem to do all the time apparently), that in a few days, Cambodia and Vietnam will still be reached regardless of any form of border control or absence of migratory birds, etc--which of course are occurring too.

[Theresa42]

"Laos ceases talks about measure bird flu with Thailand"

Laos is apparently annoyed at Thailand for blaming them for this latest bf outbreak...

Machine-translated from Thai:

Laos ceases talks about measure bird flu with Thailand (8.16 o'clock)
วันพุธที่ 2 สิงหาคม 2549

Country Laos ask for stop consult about bird flu cooperate Thailand notify authority attend meeting.

Mr. [name] Thailand director-general Dept. of Livestock say that self power down area province Kamphaeng Phet in order that watch situation bird flu because basically birthplace bird flu often there is poultry sick die in week preceding now can control and then result investigate from laboratory yesterday confirm that not find virus bird flu.

As for agenda travel go also country Laos in today in order that consult in prevention bird flu accompany with that authority Laos inform come that ask for stop consult because authority attend meeting also not together accept authority of Thailand.

By field doctor [name] committee person help minister regularly Ministry of Agriculture mention in case of authority Laos blame Thailand that link Laos with bird flu spread that in publication/announcement to be no mention by name country ministry land consider relation/involvement international is decent/satisfactory.

http://www.ch7.com/news7ch_news_temp_news1.php?NewsID=79134

[JJackson]

Re: Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

The Mekong is a major trade hiway. Families live on the Sampans (with thier livestock) and travel up and down selling to, and buying from, the villages along its banks - no need for water born transmission. And of course it supports fish, fishermen and fishing birds.

There are 300,000 Vietnamese fishing families in the delta alone and a 293Kg (645 lb) cat fish caught in 2005 is the biggest river fish on record (I think).

[kent nickell]

Re: Laos Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060801/netu037.html?.v=53

Abt Associates Launches USAID-Funded Avian Influenza Surveillance and Control Project
Tuesday August 1, 12:02 pm ET
Project Will Provide Urgently-Needed Assistance in High-Risk Greater Mekong Sub-Region

excerpts:

Abt Associates has been awarded a three-year project aimed at preventing, controlling and responding to avian influenza (AI) in countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. The award was made by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Development Mission in Bangkok, Thailand.

The U.S. Congress is making 'emergency supplemental' funds available for immediate use in Vietnam and Laos. Funding may extend to other countries in the future. The Abt Associates-led team rapidly mobilized and began work on July 14, immediately after being awarded the project.

Abt Associates' Kathleen Novak, Principal Associate in the company's International Health Division, noted that the project will provide urgently needed assistance in the Mekong and Red River delta areas, where outbreaks have occurred earlier in Vietnam, and in high risk urban areas in Laos, which have been identified as vulnerable. So far, no confirmed cases of human AI have been reported in Laos.

Abt Associates and its partners -- CARE International, Population Services International, and the University of Minnesota -- will help local governments and communities develop skills to identify and report suspected animal and human cases, and to adopt safer poultry keeping and consumption practices. The project will pilot test bio-safety approaches to reduce the risk of infection, and develop targeted behavior change communication strategies for farmers, poultry workers and marketers, health personnel, and the general public.

"We have designed an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that addresses human and animal health issues simultaneously," says Don Douglas, Abt Associates' project Chief of Party. "Our aim is to rapidly mobilize communities to be aware of the health risks, to increase surveillance and prevention capacity, and to do so by collaborating with local, national, and international institutions."

Douglas explained that team members have in-depth experience in Vietnam and Laos, and span a range of professions -- veterinary scientists, epidemiologists, disease surveillance and information systems experts, communications specialists, medical specialists, and community mobilization and training experts. "We have in-country technical expertise and emergency preparedness staff that enable us to rapidly mobilize and initiate activities," said Douglas.

In addition to its partners, Abt Associates is forming senior advisory groups composed of national experts in each country to consult with at each stage of the project to assure optimal project impact. Melinda Ojermark, Portfolio Manager for the project, commented, "by collaborating with government officials we are ensuring that our project strategies and activities are in accord with the 'Integrated National Operational Program for Avian and Human Influenza in Vietnam (2006-2010)' and with national plans now under development in Laos. This collaboration allows us to benefit from and leverage the considerable knowledge and expertise that resides in these countries."