UNCLASSIFIED
Avian Influenza Daily Digest
December 16, 2008 23:00 GMT
This digest is produced by the United States Government, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Washington DC, USA. Articles and resource documents in this digest are from open sources and unclassified.
This digest contains raw open source content and is not an evaluated intelligence product. Readers are encouraged to contribute updates and/or clarifications that will be posted in subsequent issues of the digest. Articles may contain copyrighted material, further dissemination outside government channels may be prohibited without permission from the copyright owners.
Unsubscribe/Subscribe to the AI Digest
Contact AI Digest Editor/Contribute (U) Information
Contribute (U) Updates/Clarifications to a previously reported article
Contribute (U) Information anonymouslyNew!
60-Day HPAI H5N1 Outbreak Map
2008 WHO Confirmed Human Cases HPAI H5N1
AI Daily Digest Archive
Article Summaries ...
Quid Novi
China: Bird Flu virus found in Jiangsu
Egypt: Teen Dies From Bird Flu
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
USAID strengthens avian influenza surveillance, biosecurity, and response in Central Asia
12/16/08 AKI Press, contributed by emailThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the second round of Master Training for 25 veterinarians and human health specialists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the framework of its program ?STOP Avian Influenza (AI)?.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Chinese mainland, HK, Macao SARs test emergency response to avian flu
12/16/08 Xinhua--Health authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Tuesday conducted a joint exercise to test their co-operation and co-ordination in the event of a cross-boundary incident of avian flu involving human cases.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
India Battles Bird Flu in West Bengal
12/16/08 Voice of America--Indian health officials have begun a mass slaughter of poultry in the eastern state of West Bengal, one day after authorities confirmed an outbreak of deadly bird flu in the area.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
India: Govt to set up six more bird flu testing labs
12/16/08 Times of India--As part of measures to check bird flu, the Centre will set up six more laboratories in different parts of the country to detect the avian influenza virus, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Full Text of Articles follow ...
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
USAID strengthens avian influenza surveillance, biosecurity, and response in Central Asia
12/16/08 AKI Press, contributed by emailThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the second round of Master Training for 25 veterinarians and human health specialists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the framework of its program ?STOP Avian Influenza (AI)?.
The STOP AI Master Trainers program focused on surveillance, bio-security, and outbreak response related to H5N1 HPAI virus and included comprehensive simulation and field activities. The Central Asian specialists learned to design approaches to public health and occupational safety; evaluate bio-security risks and recommend appropriate measures to minimize risk for small-scale poultry producers, commercial farmers, and live bird market owners and sellers. The course reviewed the essentials of H5N1 HPAI national surveillance plans, district-level implementation, local responsibilities, as well as management of outbreak response operations. Participants became familiar with the procedures for determining the extent of restricted areas, establishing and enforcing movement controls for animals and humans, and laboratory functions. The USAID project also taught facilitation skills to deliver effective training.
In 2009, the USAID STOP AI project, together with these Master Trainers, will launch extensive training programs at national, oblast, and rayon levels for other veterinarians and human health specialists in each country.
Avian Influenza preparedness is one of the many areas supported by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is one of the largest donor organizations in the Central Asia. Its programs support Central Asia?s community organizations and democratic institutions, help develop the economic sector, education, and assist the Governments in their efforts to adopt international health care practices.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
Chinese mainland, HK, Macao SARs test emergency response to avian flu
12/16/08 Xinhua--Health authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Tuesday conducted a joint exercise to test their co-operation and co-ordination in the event of a cross-boundary incident of avian flu involving human cases.
Code-named "Exercise Great Wall 2008", the exercise was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health, the Health Bureau of Zhejiang Province, the Health Bureau of Macao, and the Food and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong.
Over 60 public health officials and medical personnel took part in the exercise.
The scenario of the exercise unfolded when a 48-year-old man and his 13-year-old daughter living in Hong Kong were confirmed to have been infected with avian influenza virus after visiting the man's wife in the Chinese mainland.
The man's wife was also confirmed to have been infected by the disease later on.
In the exercise, the Hong Kong government activated the " Serious Response Level" and notified their counterparts on the Chinese mainland and in Macao of the cases.
In order to control and prevent the spread of the disease, health authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao immediately initiated a series of public health measures including investigation and control of the outbreak, management of patients and exchange of information.
During the exercise, emergency responses, including notification of different counterparts, epidemiological investigation of the affected patients, contact tracing and medical surveillance for probable cases, were tested through telecommunication facilities.
The exercise ended when experts exchanged information on their respective actions and the situation was brought under control with no new cases detected.
This is the third joint exercise organized under the Co- operation Agreement on Response Mechanism for Public Health Emergencies signed by the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in2005.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
India Battles Bird Flu in West Bengal
12/16/08 Voice of America--Indian health officials have begun a mass slaughter of poultry in the eastern state of West Bengal, one day after authorities confirmed an outbreak of deadly bird flu in the area.
Local officials say at least 3,500 birds have died of the H5N1 strain of the virus in West Bengal's Malda district.
Authorities have banned the transport of poultry from the affected areas and will kill at least 15,000 chickens and ducks starting Tuesday in an effort to contain the virus.
Health officials cull chickens suspected to be infected with bird flu virus at a farm in Gawahati, India, 11 Dec 2008
Health officials cull chickens suspected to be infected with bird flu virus at a farm in Gawahati, India, 11 Dec 2008
Hundreds of thousands of poultry are already being culled in the northeastern state of Assam, where bird flu was detected late last month.
Health workers in Assam are monitoring at least 100 people who have shown signs of the virus, but officials have not confirmed a human case.
Authorities have also banned the sale and export of poultry products in Assam. They say six people have been arrested for smuggling chickens from Guwahati, Assam's main city.
The World Health Organization says bird flu has killed at least 246 people worldwide since it resurfaced in Asia five years ago, but no human cases have been reported in India.
Quid Novi
China: Bird Flu virus found in Jiangsu
12/16/08 Shanghai Daily--NEARLY 380,000 birds were slaughtered after the deadly strain of H5N1 avian flu was found in east China's Jiangsu Province, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
The virus was discovered in Dongtai City and neighboring Hai'an County, the ministry said in a statement posted on its Website.
There were no reports of human cases.
The ministry said it received information about H5N1 infection among hens in Dongtai and Hai'an on Monday. It was discovered during routine checks; no birds were reported sick.
Preliminary analysis by ministry experts indicated the virus could have been spread by birds migrating through the area, and that it was a different type from the variety usually found in the southern part of the country.
A ministry laboratory yesterday was testing samples of the virus to see if it had mutated. Experts fear that the H5N1 virus could spark a pandemic if it mutates into a form that can be transmitted easily among people.
Local authorities said they have stopped the transport of all poultry and poultry products from the two areas and were sterilizing the poultry farms in those locations and nearby regions to prevent the virus from spreading.
The agriculture ministry has reported the case to the World Organization for Animal Health.
The discovery occurred only a week after 80,000 chickens were culled in Hong Kong after local health departments confirmed that samples tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
So far this winter, bird flu has killed two people in Indonesia and Egypt, and made two people ill in Indonesia and Cambodia.
Quid Novi
Egypt: Teen Dies From Bird Flu
12/16/08 Fox News--A 16-year-old girl died of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu on Monday, the 23rd fatality and 51st case of the disease among humans in Egypt, state news agency MENA said.
Samiha Salem from a village in the central Egyptian province of Asyut caught the disease after exposure to sick household poultry, MENA quoted a health ministry official as saying.
The official said Salem began suffering symptoms a week ago, after two of the household ducks died and the remainder of the flock was slaughtered in the house.
Salem was subsequently admitted to hospital with a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and then transferred to intensive care. She was treated with the antiviral drug tamiflu, but suffered a pulmonary infection and respiratory failure, and died on Monday.
Her death is the first bird flu fatality in Egypt since April, and the first of the current winter season. The virus, which first appeared in Egypt in February 2006, tends to be less active in summer.
About 5 million households in Egypt depend on poultry as a main source of food and income, and the government has said this makes it unlikely the disease can be eradicated despite a large-scale poultry vaccination programme.
Regional Reporting and Surveillance
India: Govt to set up six more bird flu testing labs
12/16/08 Times of India--As part of measures to check bird flu, the Centre will set up six more laboratories in different parts of the country to detect the avian influenza virus, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday.
While bird flu outbreak was often being reported from various parts of the country, there is only one laboratory located at Bhopal for detecting the virus in samples.
By March 2009, two testing facilities will be set up in Kolkata and Jalandhar, Pawar said in the Rajya Sabha, replying to a debate on a bill that seeks to prevent communicable diseases in animals and birds.
The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Bill, 2005 passed by the House, is aimed at providing a uniform legislation throughout the country to monitor and control infectious animal diseases.
The minister did not reveal the location details for the other four laboratories that the Centre would set up.
Pawar also said an expert group will study the viability of setting up a body on the lines of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the animal husbandry sector. He was responding to a demand from MPs to set up such a body.
Framing legislation for control of major livestock diseases is also an international obligation for India to enable the country to take benefits under the International Animal Health Code, a crucial enabler for livestock trade.
Contagious diseases like foot and mouth disease, black quarter and anthrax, among others, continue to be a serious threat to Indian livestock with a production value estimated at Rs 2.11 lakh crore.
Short AI Digest Today
Dear AI Digest Subscribers,
My apologies for the blank AI Digest yesterday, I am traveling and was unable to get the Digest out for Monday. The Digest will be back to the regular time of 1000 hrs (EST) starting tomorrow.
Claudinne
