UNCLASSIFIED
Avian Influenza Daily Digest
September 18, 2008 14:00 GMT
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Article Summaries ...
Quid Novi
Laos: Bird flu virus reported in Oudomsay
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Togo confirms H5N1 caused poultry outbreak
9/17/08 CIDRAP--Agriculture officials in Togo today confirmed that the H5N1 avian influenza virus was responsible for suspicious poultry deaths that had recently been reported in a village in the southern part of the country.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Nepal: Govt to earmark Rs 6b for agriculture
9/17/08 Kantapur Online--The government has proposed to earmark around Rs 6 billion for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) for the current fiscal year, most of which will be spent on 42 major projects. The budget allocation is a big jump from last year?s figure of Rs 4.17 billion.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
USAID assists Malawi to fight Avian Influenza
9/17/08 Nyasa Times --The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pumped 470,000 dollars for Malawi to fight Avian influenza. USAID and implementing partner AI.COMM recently launched an Avian Influenza (AI) cross-border training program in the districts of Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza and Karonga to help combat the flu which attacks chickens as well as humans.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Russia: Presence of H5N1 Avian Influenza Antibodies Confirmed in 244 Wild Birds
9/17/08 ARGUS--As of 10 September 2008, no avian influenza (AI) bird cases have been registered in the Siberian Federal District, but the presence of H5N1 antibodies has been detected in 244 wild migrating birds in 6 regions of the District: Altayskiy and Krasnoyarskiy Krays, Buryatiya, Tyva, Khakasiya and Tomskaya Oblast, according to the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service. Over 6.8 million heads of domestic poultry have been vaccinated and over 2.5 million revaccinated against avian influenza in Omskaya and Tomskaya Oblasts and in Altay Republic.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Togo: 2 Farms Quarantined, Sale of Poultry in Infected Zone Continues
9/16/08 ARGUS--A national source citing an international source reported that an avian influenza outbreak on 2 farms in Agbata village affected 1,300 birds and caused 120 bird deaths [language unclear]. The report indicates that the 2 farms have been quarantined and 13,000 birds have been slaughtered to contain the outbreak. A health and agricultural official reported attempts [by unspecified stakeholders] to violate regulations against the sale of poultry in markets of the infected zone. Officials are continuing to sensitize all stakeholders in the community to comply with sanitary measures enforced by the government.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Science and Technology
Emory to help evaluate bird flu vaccines
9/17/08 Atlanta Journal--Emory University will help evaluate promising new vaccines against an ?H5? bird flu virus thought to be a possible pandemic threat in the future, school officials said.
Vaccines
Safety and immunogenicity of a prototype adjuvanted inactivated split-virus influenza A (H5N1) vaccine in infants and children
9/16/08 Vaccine--[abstract]--Objective Highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1) is a leading candidate for the next influenza pandemic, and infants and children may play an important role in transmission in a pandemic. Our objective was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a prototype inactivated, aluminium adjuvanted, split-virus, clade 1 H5N1 vaccine (A/Vietnam/1194/2004/NIBRG-14) in infants and children aged ?6 months to <9 years. Methods Healthy infants and children (N = 150) received two doses of 30 ?g or 45 ?g H5 HA with AlPO4 adjuvant 21 days apart. Serum samples were collected for virus microneutralisation (MN) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays on Days 0, 21, and 42. Six-month antibody persistence following second vaccine dose was assessed by MN, and cross-reactive HI antibodies to a clade 2 variant strain (INDO5/RG2) were evaluated at Day 42. Findings Both formulations were well-tolerated. Two doses of 30 ?g or 45 ?g H5 HA formulations elicited strong immune responses by both MN (98?99% ?1:20) and HI assays (95?100% ?1:32), with 80?87% of children having MN antibody persistence (?1:20) up to 6 months post-vaccination. Additionally, robust cross-clade HI antibody responses were elicited following two doses. Interpretation Two doses of prototype 30 ?g or 45 ?g aluminium-adjuvanted, H5N1 vaccines were highly immunogenic and well-tolerated, with considerable antibody persistence 6 months after the primary vaccination course. Additional cross-clade HI antibody responses and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile support the use of the either candidate vaccine formulations in infants and children in the event of a pandemic [ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT00370864].
Vaccines
Pandemic Preparedness
Amid the Great War, the pandemic that history forgot
9/17/08 Canadian Press/Branswell--Note: Helen Branswell has written a series of articles to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Flu, and assembled a video package to go along with it. The articles and video links are available on the Globe and Mail's website [link]
Pandemic Preparedness
Full Text of Articles follow ...
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Togo confirms H5N1 caused poultry outbreak
9/17/08 CIDRAP--Agriculture officials in Togo today confirmed that the H5N1 avian influenza virus was responsible for suspicious poultry deaths that had recently been reported in a village in the southern part of the country.
Kossi Messan Ewovor, Togo's agriculture and livestock minister, said in a statement that tests in Ghana on samples from the birds were positive for the H5N1 virus, according to a report from Reuters.
The outbreak was initially reported by media outlets on Sep 9. The outbreak site is a poultry farm in the village of Agbata, near Lome, the capital, according to previous reports. The farm reportedly had about 4,800 birds.
The minister's statement said about 4,000 poultry died, but it's not clear if animal health officials culled any of the birds.
Togo's last H5N1 outbreaks occurred in June 2007 at poultry farms in the southern part of the country, according to reports from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Those outbreaks were the first to be confirmed in Togo.
In other developments, agriculture authorities in New Zealand said today that low-pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in wild mallard ducks, according to a report from the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA). The H5 strain was identified during surveillance of healthy birds at seven sites in New Zealand, the story said . The surveillance took place in February and involved sampling 1,241 birds.
Andre van Halderen, an official with New Zealand's agriculture and forestry ministry, said the virus that was identified in the ducks is closely related to viruses that have been found in the past and aren't new to the country.
Since 1975 more than 5,000 wild birds have been sampled in New Zealand, of which a small number tested positive for low-pathogenic H5 or H7 subtypes, the NZPA report said.
New Zealand has never reported a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds, according to the report.
Findings in New Zealand's wild birds are similar to those in the United States. An update today from the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Early Detection Data System (HEDDS), representing wild-bird surveillance by federal and state agencies, says 27,231 birds have been sampled this year. Eight samples tested positive for presumed low-pathogenic avian influenza. Confirmatory tests revealed that one of the eight viruses was H2N9; testing is underway to confirm the subtype of the seven others.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Nepal: Govt to earmark Rs 6b for agriculture
9/17/08 Kantapur Online--The government has proposed to earmark around Rs 6 billion for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) for the current fiscal year, most of which will be spent on 42 major projects. The budget allocation is a big jump from last year?s figure of Rs 4.17 billion.
The proposed budget has focused on research on bird flu, steps to deal with possible food crisis in the country, increasing the productivity of crops and providing incentives to farmers.
The government has proposed spending more than Rs 430 million on efforts to contain bird flu and carry out surveillance and epidemiological research on the disease, a source at the ministry said Wednesday.
?We will also establish a high security laboratory in Kathmandu to conduct international level tests on bird flu,? the source told the Post. Samples will be sent to Australia for further tests.
The government is setting up a fund of Rs 60 million to compensate farmers in case their chickens have to be destroyed to prevent avian influenza from spreading.
The government is launching the Community Livestock Development Project worth Rs 400 million in 22 districts to increase the number of skilled human resources and set up and upgrade 112 cattle markets and 62 meat shops.
Diversification of dairy and meat products will also be encouraged under the project. An integrated pilot project in Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Darchula and Bajhang is also included in the budget for the benefit of local farmers.
Around Rs 280 million has been set aside for launching small irrigation projects besides providing transportation subsidies for the delivery of fertilizers and improved seeds to 26 remote districts of the hilly and Himalayan regions.
?A total of 1,941 small irrigation projects will be run and transportation costs will be subsidized to move 3,033 tons of fertilizers and 116 tons of improved seeds under the project,? the source added.
In a bid to boost food production, the government has also allocated more than Rs 240 million to the proposed Food Crisis Address Project which aims to increase production of food grains, vegetables and fruits in 25 districts.
According to the source, the government will initiate resource conservation technology like zero tillage to scale up production of wheat, and initiate supply of True Potato Seed (TPS) and production of citrus fruits in 20 hilly districts of mid and far western Nepal.
The ministry?s programs also include subsidies for transporting apples produced in Mustang and Jumla besides supporting mango cultivation and establishment of community-based agriculture and livestock service centers in 25 districts.
Establishment of cooperative-based consumer shops in every VDC in the country is also included in the program.
?Those shops will sell food to the general public at fair prices,? the source said.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
USAID assists Malawi to fight Avian Influenza
9/17/08 Nyasa Times --The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has pumped 470,000 dollars for Malawi to fight Avian influenza. USAID and implementing partner AI.COMM recently launched an Avian Influenza (AI) cross-border training program in the districts of Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza and Karonga to help combat the flu which attacks chickens as well as humans.
Working closely with the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development and the Ministry of Health in Malawi, this capacity-building initiative provides animal health surveillance assistants, community health officers, and other local officials from the key cross-border areas with fundamental knowledge about AI and how to communicate effectively regarding its prevention and control.
In a media statement issued by US public affairs officer John Warner and US information specialist Mayeso Chirwa, local officials from the key cross border areas and health surveillance assistants are being provided with fundamental knowledge about the air borne disease.
They are also being grilled on how to communicate effectively to people regarding prevention and control of the deadly disease. AI.COMM is part of a worldwide effort funded by the USAID and implemented by the Academy of Educational Development, a Washington-based non-profit organization, to prevent and control the spread of Avian Influenza in the Southern Africa region.
The effort is part of the U.S. Government?s global emergency response to AI.
Curt Reintsma, USAID/Malawi Mission Director explains: ?Although Avian Influenza has not been reported in Malawi yet, this program helps the Malawian Government prepare for any AI outbreak.?
?Given that AI could potentially be spread through cross-order trade, it is imperative that border personnel are properly trained to maximize surveillance and understand the importance of its prevention and control,? said Reintsma.
Through capacity-building, outreach, and distribution of printed materials to animal and health workers, AI.COMM educates the public on high-risk behaviours for contracting AI, practical preventive measures, and how to recognize and respond to cases of bird flu in animals and humans.
Target audiences include farmers, small-scale poultry producers, consumers of poultry, healthcare workers, veterinary staff, and communities in potential outbreak areas.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Russia: Presence of H5N1 Avian Influenza Antibodies Confirmed in 244 Wild Birds
9/17/08 ARGUS--As of 10 September 2008, no avian influenza (AI) bird cases have been registered in the Siberian Federal District, but the presence of H5N1 antibodies has been detected in 244 wild migrating birds in 6 regions of the District: Altayskiy and Krasnoyarskiy Krays, Buryatiya, Tyva, Khakasiya and Tomskaya Oblast, according to the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service. Over 6.8 million heads of domestic poultry have been vaccinated and over 2.5 million revaccinated against avian influenza in Omskaya and Tomskaya Oblasts and in Altay Republic.
Article URL(s)
http://news.ngs.ru/more/39649.php
Pandemic Preparedness
Amid the Great War, the pandemic that history forgot
9/17/08 Canadian Press/Branswell--Note: Helen Branswell has written a series of articles to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Flu, and assembled a video package to go along with it. The articles and video links are available on the Globe and Mail's website [link]
Amid the Great War, the pandemic that history forgot
The Allied Forces were gaining hard-earned ground in the late summer of 1918, carving a path that would shortly lead to an armistice for the First World War.
As those armies battled over the blood-soaked fields of Europe 90 years ago, another enemy was on the move. This adversary didn't choose sides. It didn't restrict itself to Europe. It didn't spare civilians.
By the time it was through rampaging around the globe, this assailant - the Spanish flu - had killed between 50 million and 100 million people, several times more than had lost their lives in the soon-to-be-concluded war.
Yet despite the scope of the death and illness, the fear and social disruption, amazingly - inexplicably - the history books made little mention of what is now viewed as the deadliest outbreak of infectious disease in recorded history.
Quid Novi
Laos: Bird flu virus reported in Oudomsay
9/17/08 VNA--An outbreak of the deadly H5N1 disease has been detected in a village in the Lao province of Oudomsay, local media reported.
The local authorities have culled 1,170 poultry from 76 households in the village named Ban Nalae in Say district, the Lao news agency (KPL) said on September 17.
A surveillance zone covering 20 villages around the village has been demarcated, KPL said, adding that the local authorities have also set up roadside stations which aim to disinfect all vehicles entering and leaving the zone.
The Agriculture and Forestry Office in Say district would ban the transportation of chicken from and to the region, KPL noted.
Vaccines
Emory to help evaluate bird flu vaccines
9/17/08 Atlanta Journal--Emory University will help evaluate promising new vaccines against an ?H5? bird flu virus thought to be a possible pandemic threat in the future, school officials said.
The Emory Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit will conduct a clinical trial of a new bird flu vaccine along with collaborators at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The enrollment and trial will last over the next six months to a year.
Scientists estimate a bird flu pandemic in the United States could result in 90 million Americans being affected by flu-related illnesses and 2 million domestic deaths. Vaccines for the various strains of bird flu could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars, officials said.
Several worldwide influenza outbreaks (?pandemics?) have occurred during the past century, including Spanish Flu of 1918, Asian Flu of 1957, and Hong Kong Flu of 1968. The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 resulted in an estimated 60 million deaths worldwide.
?The upcoming bird flu vaccine trial is an important part of our U.S. national preparedness for a future influenza pandemic,? said Dr. Mark Mulligan, principal investigator of the Emory VTEU and executive director of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center.
The VTEU network clinical trial will involve 500 healthy persons who have not been previously vaccinated against the H5 influenza strain, including 112 at the Emory clinical research site.
For more information about enrolling in this study, see www.hopeclinic.emory.edu or contact Eileen Osinski at 877-424-HOPE.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Togo: 2 Farms Quarantined, Sale of Poultry in Infected Zone Continues
9/16/08 ARGUS--A national source citing an international source reported that an avian influenza outbreak on 2 farms in Agbata village affected 1,300 birds and caused 120 bird deaths [language unclear]. The report indicates that the 2 farms have been quarantined and 13,000 birds have been slaughtered to contain the outbreak. A health and agricultural official reported attempts [by unspecified stakeholders] to violate regulations against the sale of poultry in markets of the infected zone. Officials are continuing to sensitize all stakeholders in the community to comply with sanitary measures enforced by the government.
Article URL(s)
http://www.icilome.com/nouvelles/news.asp?id=11&idnews=10643&f=
Vaccines
Safety and immunogenicity of a prototype adjuvanted inactivated split-virus influenza A (H5N1) vaccine in infants and children
9/16/08 Vaccine--[abstract]
Terry Nolana, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Peter C. Richmondb, Neil T. Formicac, Katja Höschlerd, Maryanne V. Skeljoc, Tanya Stoneyb, Jodie McVernona, Gunter Hartelc, Daphne C. Sawlwinc, Jillian Bennetc, David Ryanc, Russell L. Basserc and Maria C. Zambond
Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Victoria, Australia bSchool of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia cCSL Limited, Parkville, Victoria, Australia dVirus Reference Laboratory, The Health Protection Agency, Colindale, UK
Received 20 July 2008;
revised 24 August 2008;
accepted 31 August 2008.
Available online 16 September 2008.
Objective
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1) is a leading candidate for the next influenza pandemic, and infants and children may play an important role in transmission in a pandemic. Our objective was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a prototype inactivated, aluminium adjuvanted, split-virus, clade 1 H5N1 vaccine (A/Vietnam/1194/2004/NIBRG-14) in infants and children aged ?6 months to <9 years.
Methods
Healthy infants and children (N = 150) received two doses of 30 ?g or 45 ?g H5 HA with AlPO4 adjuvant 21 days apart. Serum samples were collected for virus microneutralisation (MN) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays on Days 0, 21, and 42. Six-month antibody persistence following second vaccine dose was assessed by MN, and cross-reactive HI antibodies to a clade 2 variant strain (INDO5/RG2) were evaluated at Day 42.
Findings
Both formulations were well-tolerated. Two doses of 30 ?g or 45 ?g H5 HA formulations elicited strong immune responses by both MN (98?99% ?1:20) and HI assays (95?100% ?1:32), with 80?87% of children having MN antibody persistence (?1:20) up to 6 months post-vaccination. Additionally, robust cross-clade HI antibody responses were elicited following two doses.
Interpretation
Two doses of prototype 30 ?g or 45 ?g aluminium-adjuvanted, H5N1 vaccines were highly immunogenic and well-tolerated, with considerable antibody persistence 6 months after the primary vaccination course. Additional cross-clade HI antibody responses and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile support the use of the either candidate vaccine formulations in infants and children in the event of a pandemic [ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT00370864].
