Newest Chinese BF report

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   BEIJING - China has been unable to determine why most of its 11 human cases of bird flu have occurred in areas where no poultry outbreaks have been detected, a health ministry spokesman said on Friday. The health ministry this week announced China�s 11th case in the southeastern province of Fujian. 
As in seven of the previous reported infections, the 26-year-old woman fell ill in an area where the agriculture ministry had not detected the deadly virus among poultry, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In four of these cases the health ministry later found the patients had close contacts with sick birds, although the agricultural ministry could still not determine a bird flu outbreak. 
Infected poultry and birds are believed to be main sources of infection among people worldwide, and health ministry spokesman Mao Qunan told reporters this was most likely the case in China as well. But he said finding the exact source of infections was proving extremely difficult. 
He said some patients could be living in environments that became contaminated with the virus through �unknown channels�, with the virus in those cases not necessarily causing large-scale deaths among animals. �There is a lack of accurate information regarding the contamination of the environment from infected animals,� Mao said, referring to the global problem as well as China. 
However Mao reassured there was no evidence of the virus mutating into a strain that could be transmitted easily among humans, circumstances that health experts fear would cause a global pandemic that would kill millions of people. �There is no evidence that this virus is able to go through drastic mutation into an extent that could lead to human-to-human infection,� Mao said. China has reported 34 outbreaks of poultry since the beginning of last year, with most occurring since October. 
In the latest outbreak, reported this week, health authorities in north China�s Shanxi province placed 35 people under observation after 15,000 fowl died of bird flu on the farm where they were working. The WHO says that of the 165 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans detected since 2003, 88 people have died. Most of the victims have been in Asia, with seven in China. 

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sweets Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: February 08 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 239	Post Options Post Reply Quote sweets Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Newest Chinese BF report Posted: February 10 2006 at 6:13am
	BEIJING - China has been unable to determine why most of its 11 human cases of bird flu have occurred in areas where no poultry outbreaks have been detected, a health ministry spokesman said on Friday. The health ministry this week announced China�s 11th case in the southeastern province of Fujian. As in seven of the previous reported infections, the 26-year-old woman fell ill in an area where the agriculture ministry had not detected the deadly virus among poultry, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In four of these cases the health ministry later found the patients had close contacts with sick birds, although the agricultural ministry could still not determine a bird flu outbreak. Infected poultry and birds are believed to be main sources of infection among people worldwide, and health ministry spokesman Mao Qunan told reporters this was most likely the case in China as well. But he said finding the exact source of infections was proving extremely difficult. He said some patients could be living in environments that became contaminated with the virus through �unknown channels�, with the virus in those cases not necessarily causing large-scale deaths among animals. �There is a lack of accurate information regarding the contamination of the environment from infected animals,� Mao said, referring to the global problem as well as China. However Mao reassured there was no evidence of the virus mutating into a strain that could be transmitted easily among humans, circumstances that health experts fear would cause a global pandemic that would kill millions of people. �There is no evidence that this virus is able to go through drastic mutation into an extent that could lead to human-to-human infection,� Mao said. China has reported 34 outbreaks of poultry since the beginning of last year, with most occurring since October. In the latest outbreak, reported this week, health authorities in north China�s Shanxi province placed 35 people under observation after 15,000 fowl died of bird flu on the farm where they were working. The WHO says that of the 165 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans detected since 2003, 88 people have died. Most of the victims have been in Asia, with seven in China.
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sweets Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: February 08 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 239	Post Options Post Reply Quote sweets Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 10 2006 at 6:33am
	What Hk is doing to try to keep BF controlled. NEW HONG KONG, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Since a few of wild birds found in various areas of Hong Kong were tested H5N1 avian flu positive recently, the government has stepped up efforts to protect public health and avoid outbreak of the disease. The Hong Kong government Wednesday gazetted legislative amendments to the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Licensing of Livestock Keeping) Regulation and the Waste Disposal Ordinance to ban backyard poultry keeping activities in Hong Kong. According to the Hong Kong Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, The ban, which would come into force on Feb. 13, will be imposed to protect public health and reduce the risk of an avian influenza outbreak in Hong Kong. With the introduction of the legislative amendments, households will not be allowed to keep any backyard poultry. Unauthorized keeping of five kinds of live poultry would be an offense with a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 HK dollars (about 6,400 to 12,900 U.S. dollars). The five kinds of poultry include chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and quails while pet birds that have received injection were not included. Patrol teams will be formed to ensure effective enforcement of the new law. Households keeping backyard poultry are appealed not to keep their poultry and those who require government assistance may call the government hotline. Secretary of the Hong Kong Health, Welfare and Food Bureau York Chow said on Wednesday that in view of the number of wild birds that were tested positive for H5N1 and two chickens that were found in a backyard farm, the timely legislative change that prohibits anybody to have any chickens in their home is very important. Chow said, "If any of our chickens in our chicken farms are affected, then we have to slaughter that particular farm and also the vicinity of five kilometers. "And if there is more than one chicken in our farms that are infected with H5N1, in our licensed farms, then we have to sacrifice all the chickens in Hong Kong." Chow added that the H5N1 is assumed to be very endemic among the avian population in Hong Kong. The government has done the very best to ensure that every defense line is being protected. The Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department reminds poultry retailers and the public that there will be a Rest Day on Feb. 10. A department spokesman said that on the Rest Day, operators of market stalls and fresh provision shops had to slaughter all live poultry remaining on their premises before noon, and suspend business in the afternoon and evening to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection. The spokesman urged all poultry retailers to strictly observe the Rest Day conditions. "Our staff will inspect the poultry outlets on the Rest Day. Failure to comply with the Rest Day conditions will lead to immediate cancellation of fresh provision shop licenses or termination of market stall tenancies," he warned. Enditem
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sweets Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: February 08 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 239	Post Options Post Reply Quote sweets Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 10 2006 at 6:43am
	I realize it is over there so to speak, but I feel it is important to see what measures are being taken and how they work against the spread of BF. I am near Seattle and will tell you that many have chickens and roosters. On Craigslist people give away roosters, chickens and sometimes eggs. People all over the states keep their own poultry and have groups on rearing fowl. My point is only, if we can learn anything helpfull from watching other governments efforts to combat bird flu we may be ahead of the game
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sweets Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: February 08 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 239	Post Options Post Reply Quote sweets Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 10 2006 at 6:50am
	Here is a link to an Hk page Hk has gone on Alert status this week There is some good information here! http://www.info.gov.hk/info/flu/eng/ Click on the responce level link in the yellow
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