AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE: HONG KONG, SAUDI ARABIA, MYANMAR, SOUTH KOREA

International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org 

In this update:

[1] Hong Kong, egret - confirmed
[2] Saudi Arabia
[3] Myanmar (Burma)
[4] South Korea, LPAI H7N8 - OIE

[1] Hong Kong, egret - confirmed
Date: Sat 24 Nov 2007
Source: The Associated Press [edited]
<http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/24/asia/AS-GEN-Hong-Kong-Bird-Flu.php>

A sick egret found in Hong Kong last week has tested positive for the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu, the government said Saturday [24 Nov 2007]. The bird, which was collected from a park Sunday and died the next day, was confirmed to have had the disease after several laboratory tests, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement.

Hong Kong has occasionally found avian influenza in wild birds but hasn't suffered a major outbreak of the disease lately.

Hong Kong aggressively monitors bird flu because the 1st documented cases of the disease in humans occurred in the territory. An outbreak of H5N1 in 1997 killed 6 people. That prompted the government to slaughter the entire poultry population of about 1.5 million birds.

Communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[2] Saudi Arabia
Date: Mon 26 Nov 2007
Source: Reuters [edited]
<http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSL26588482>

More cases of a deadly strain of bird flu have been found at a poultry farm in Saudi Arabia just weeks before Muslims travel to Mecca for the annual Haj pilgrimage, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday [26 Nov 2007]. A statement published in the official Saudi Press Agency said all birds at the farm at al-Kharj, 150 km (94 miles) south of Riyadh were culled on Thursday after the H5N1 strain was found there. It gave no more details.

Saudi authorities killed 50 000 birds in al-Kharj earlier this month [November 2007] after 1500 birds died of unspecified causes, and inspection teams have since then culled thousands more at markets
around the capital of around 4 million people.

The discovery comes just a few weeks before nearly 2 million faithful arrive for the Haj pilgrimage season in Mecca.

The Saudi government says it has large stocks of Tamiflu anti-flu tablets in case the virus spreads to humans.

In March 2007, Saudi Arabia said the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been discovered in peacocks, turkeys, ostriches and parrots at a house in the east of the kingdom and that an unspecified number of birds in the area had been culled.

[Byline: Andrew Hammond]

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[3] Myanmar (Burma)
Date: Sat 24 Nov 2007
Source: VOA News [edited]
<http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-24-voa18.cfm>

Officials in Burma say a new outbreak of bird flu has been detected among chickens in an eastern district near the Chinese border.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Saturday [24 Nov 2007] that the outbreak was found at a farm in Kentung township in eastern Shan state on 18 Nov 2007, after a farmer reported an unusual number of deaths in his chickens.

Officials culled an unknown number of birds at the farm.

A statement from the Myanmar Livestock and Veterinary Department urged people to prevent the entry of poultry and birds from neighboring countries into Burma.

Communicated by:ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[4] South Korea, LPAI H7N8 - OIE
Date: Mon 26 Nov 2007
Source: OIE website [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=6505>

Information received on 26 Nov 2007 from Chang-Seob Kim, Director, Animal Health Division, Livestock Bureau , Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), SEOUL, Korea (Rep. of).

Summary
Report type: Immediate notification (Final report)
Start date: 21 Nov 2007
Date of confirmation of event: 23 Nov 2007
Report date: 26 Nov 2007
Date submitted to OIE: 26 Nov 2007
Date event resolved: 26 Nov 2007
Reason for notification: Reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: March 2007
Manifestation of disease: Sub-clinical infection
Causal agent: Low pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype: H7N8
Nature of diagnosis: Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced)
Report pertains to: Defined zone within the country

New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1
Outbreak Location: KWANGJU-JIKHALSI (Yongdoo-dong)
Total animals affected
Species: birds
Susceptible: 3800
Cases: 0
Deaths 0
Destroyed: 3800
Slaughtered: 0

Epidemiology
Source of infection: Unknown or inconclusive
Epidemiological comments: As part of the national serological surveillance for avian influenza in the Republic of Korea, 2007/2008, the Korean government has conducted tests against avian influenza
virus on duck-raising farms across the country. Avian influenza virus was isolated from pooled fecal samples collected from a duck-raising farm in Kwangju-Jikhalsi, in the southwestern part of the Republic of Korea. The virus proved to be low pathogenic avian influenza virus serotype H7N8, but according to the Korean avian influenza emergency action plan, 19 200 ducklings in the affected farm and the 3 neighbouring farms were stamped out.

Control measures

Measures already applied:
-Screening
-Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
-Quarantine
-Stamping out
-Vaccination prohibited
-No treatment of affected animals

Measures to be applied: None specified

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: National Veterinary Research Quarantine
Service (NVRQS) (National laboratory)
Tests and results
Species: Birds
1. Test: competitive ELISA (c-ELISA)
Test date: 21 Nov 2007
Result: Positive
2. Test: reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
Test date: 23 Nov 2007
Result: Positive

Communicated by:
OIE Disease Information Department
<oie-info-web@oie.int>

[South Korea has swiftly and laudably eradicated this LPAI H7N8 outbreak. The designation of this outbreak as of low pathogenicity seems to be based upon clinical field observations. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Avian influenza (177): S. Korea, LPAI H7, susp. 20071124.3797]
Avian influenza (176): UK (England), Yemen, Hong Kong 20071121.3776
Avian influenza (175): UK (England), Saudi Arabia ... 20071120.3752
Avian influenza (174): Saudi Arabia, OIE 20071120.3750
Avian influenza (171): Saudi Arabia, UK (England) 20071114.3701]

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