Britain -- April 2006 Poultry Worker - LPAI H7

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   I am not sure if this was previously reported so I wanted to post it here. This took place in April 2006 in Britain. It was LPAI H7N3

Press Statement
28 April 2006 
Conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza in poultry worker 

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed that a poultry worker is suffering from conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza. The individual works on the Norfolk poultry farm confirmed as having an outbreak of (low pathogenic) H7N3 avian influenza. 

H7N3 does not transmit easily from poultry to people, so the risk to those in contact with the infected poultry is considered low. H7N3 does not transmit readily from person to person and so the risk to anyone in contact with the infected poultry worker is also considered to be very low. In almost all cases of human H7 infection to date, the virus, in both low and high pathogenic forms, has only caused a mild disease. Therefore in this outbreak the risk to the general public is extremely limited. 

The poultry worker reported his illness on 27 April. Samples were taken and sent to the regional Health Protection Agency laboratory and the HPA Centre for Infections for analyses where H7 was confirmed. 

The poultry worker, who does not require hospitalisation, was given the antiviral drug oseltamivir as a precautionary measure on 27 April, as soon as the HPA was notified of the incident at the Norfolk poultry farm. Oseltamivir is the standard treatment for H7. The poultry worker, along with the others involved in the incident, is also being offered seasonal influenza vaccine. Normal seasonal flu vaccination is given to prevent the H7 virus from mixing with any human flu viruses that may be circulating. 

Conjunctivitis causes red, sore, itchy eyes and the worker has no respiratory symptoms. To date, most human cases of H7 avian influenza have presented with conjunctivitis only. 

The local Health Protection Agency has identified and followed up the poultry worker's household contacts and is providing guidance and advice, and preventative medication as appropriate. 
As a precautionary measure the Health Protection Agency is taking nose and throat swabs and blood tests from the other poultry workers, and monitoring their health closely. As the poultry workers were involved in the H7 incident, they are already taking oseltamivir for prevention of illness. 

Dr Jonathan Van Tam , a flu expert at the Health Protection Agency, said: 
"It is important to remember that H7 avian flu remains largely a disease of birds. The virus does not transmit easily to humans, as evidenced by the small number of confirmed infections worldwide to date. Almost all human H7 infections documented so far have been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry. 
"The threat to human health posed by H7 avian influenza viruses remains very low despite the recent developments in Norfolk ." 

Notes to editors   

To speak with an HPA press officer, contact the Centre for Infections press office on 020 8327 6055/7098/7097/6690 
The symptoms of H7 are generally mild. Most human cases have presented with conjunctivitis only (red, sore, itchy eyes). Some cases have had influenza-like illness with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, headache and aching muscles, either with or without conjunctivitis. 
A small number of H7N3 human infections has been associated with previous poultry outbreaks. Reported symptoms included conjunctivitis and mild flu-like illness. 
Pathogenicity refers to a virus' capability to cause disease in poultry. Viruses of low pathogenicity in poultry, pose very little health risk to people.  The only documented incidents when a low-pathogenic H7 virus has caused illness in humans have been three individual sporadic cases in Italy , USA and England causing conjunctivitis.  The only documented human case in the UK was in 1996, when there was a single case of a female farmer who acquired H7 influenza and suffered conjunctivitis after cleaning out a poultry house. 
A very large outbreak of highly-pathogenic H7N7 in the Netherlands in 2003 caused 88 cases of human disease with minor symptoms, mainly conjunctivitis (eye infection) and one death in a vet.  An outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza also occurred in British Columbia , Canada in 2004 causing two cases of conjunctivitis in humans.  
Defra advice is to not handle dead wild birds where possible; but if you do have to handle a single dead bird to follow simple hygiene precautions: these can be viewed at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/index.htm 
If members of the public see a dead swan, goose or duck or three or more dead wild, or garden birds together in the same place, these should be reported to the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77. 
For further information on human health implications visit the HPA website: 
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/avian/default.htm 
For further information on avian flu visit the Defra website: 
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm 
For further information on the Defra wild bird survey visit: 
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/survey.htm 
The general public can play their part by reporting any unusual wild bird deaths to the Defra helpline on 08459 335577. 

� Health Protection Agency

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	I am not sure if this was previously reported so I wanted to post it here. This took place in April 2006 in Britain. It was LPAI H7N3 Press Statement 28 April 2006 Conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza in poultry worker The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed that a poultry worker is suffering from conjunctivitis caused by H7 avian influenza. The individual works on the Norfolk poultry farm confirmed as having an outbreak of (low pathogenic) H7N3 avian influenza. H7N3 does not transmit easily from poultry to people, so the risk to those in contact with the infected poultry is considered low. H7N3 does not transmit readily from person to person and so the risk to anyone in contact with the infected poultry worker is also considered to be very low. In almost all cases of human H7 infection to date, the virus, in both low and high pathogenic forms, has only caused a mild disease. Therefore in this outbreak the risk to the general public is extremely limited. The poultry worker reported his illness on 27 April. Samples were taken and sent to the regional Health Protection Agency laboratory and the HPA Centre for Infections for analyses where H7 was confirmed. The poultry worker, who does not require hospitalisation, was given the antiviral drug oseltamivir as a precautionary measure on 27 April, as soon as the HPA was notified of the incident at the Norfolk poultry farm. Oseltamivir is the standard treatment for H7. The poultry worker, along with the others involved in the incident, is also being offered seasonal influenza vaccine. Normal seasonal flu vaccination is given to prevent the H7 virus from mixing with any human flu viruses that may be circulating. Conjunctivitis causes red, sore, itchy eyes and the worker has no respiratory symptoms. To date, most human cases of H7 avian influenza have presented with conjunctivitis only. The local Health Protection Agency has identified and followed up the poultry worker's household contacts and is providing guidance and advice, and preventative medication as appropriate. As a precautionary measure the Health Protection Agency is taking nose and throat swabs and blood tests from the other poultry workers, and monitoring their health closely. As the poultry workers were involved in the H7 incident, they are already taking oseltamivir for prevention of illness. Dr Jonathan Van Tam , a flu expert at the Health Protection Agency, said: "It is important to remember that H7 avian flu remains largely a disease of birds. The virus does not transmit easily to humans, as evidenced by the small number of confirmed infections worldwide to date. Almost all human H7 infections documented so far have been associated with close contact with dead or dying poultry. "The threat to human health posed by H7 avian influenza viruses remains very low despite the recent developments in Norfolk ." Notes to editors To speak with an HPA press officer, contact the Centre for Infections press office on 020 8327 6055/7098/7097/6690 The symptoms of H7 are generally mild. Most human cases have presented with conjunctivitis only (red, sore, itchy eyes). Some cases have had influenza-like illness with symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, headache and aching muscles, either with or without conjunctivitis. A small number of H7N3 human infections has been associated with previous poultry outbreaks. Reported symptoms included conjunctivitis and mild flu-like illness. Pathogenicity refers to a virus' capability to cause disease in poultry. Viruses of low pathogenicity in poultry, pose very little health risk to people. The only documented incidents when a low-pathogenic H7 virus has caused illness in humans have been three individual sporadic cases in Italy , USA and England causing conjunctivitis. The only documented human case in the UK was in 1996, when there was a single case of a female farmer who acquired H7 influenza and suffered conjunctivitis after cleaning out a poultry house. A very large outbreak of highly-pathogenic H7N7 in the Netherlands in 2003 caused 88 cases of human disease with minor symptoms, mainly conjunctivitis (eye infection) and one death in a vet. An outbreak of highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza also occurred in British Columbia , Canada in 2004 causing two cases of conjunctivitis in humans. Defra advice is to not handle dead wild birds where possible; but if you do have to handle a single dead bird to follow simple hygiene precautions: these can be viewed at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/index.htm If members of the public see a dead swan, goose or duck or three or more dead wild, or garden birds together in the same place, these should be reported to the Defra helpline on 08459 33 55 77. For further information on human health implications visit the HPA website: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/avian/default.htm For further information on avian flu visit the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm For further information on the Defra wild bird survey visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/wildbirds/survey.htm The general public can play their part by reporting any unusual wild bird deaths to the Defra helpline on 08459 335577. � Health Protection Agency Home \| Search \| Contact Us \| Accessibility \| Terms of Use \| About this site \| Freedom of Information Search powered by