| PANDEMIC ALERT LEVEL |
| 123456 |
| Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
In Case you skipped Africia today . - Event Date: October 24 2006 |
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July 
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 Posted: January 12 2007 at 4:52am |
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Bird flu spreads to new state in northern Nigeria
Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:28 PM GMT By Farouk Umar ADIYA FARM, Nigeria (Reuters) - Veterinary officials in white protective suits and masks culled thousands of chickens at a farm in the far northwestern Nigerian state of Sokoto after bird flu was detected there for the first time. The detection of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Sokoto means the disease is or has been present in 17 of Nigeria's 36 states and in the Federal Capital Territory. The officials sprayed chemicals to kill more than 21,000 chickens at Adiya farm, about 10 miles (16 km) from the state capital, while labourers wearing no protective equipment dug a pit to bury the birds. The first African country to be hit by bird flu, Nigeria has not reported any human cases of the disease although experts warn surveillance may not be completely effective and cases may have gone undetected. "There was a lot of movement of people and poultry over the Christmas, New Year and Eid celebrations and that is what has caused this new outbreak," said Junaidu Maina, head of Nigeria's livestock department. "We are on high alert because of that and we are also conducting active surveillance in the wetlands because of the presence of migrating birds." Nigeria is one of three countries regarded by experts as the weakest areas in the global attempt to stem infections among birds and head off a potentially devastating human flu pandemic. The disease was first discovered a year ago in the northern state of Kaduna and it spread rapidly to most parts of the country in the first week despite culling and quarantines. The government announced soon after the initial outbreak that it would compensate farmers for culled birds, but the scheme appeared to get bogged down in red tape and newspapers have published numerous reports of farmers who were never paid. Experts fear this may have discouraged farmers from reporting bird deaths and contributed to the spread of the disease. Maina said the compensation mechanism was now working and all eligible farmers would receive their money by the end of next week. Millions of Nigerians keep poultry in their backyards, making human-to-bird contact more common and surveillance more difficult. The majority of Nigeria's 140 million people live below the poverty line and cannot afford the luxury of rejecting sick or dead birds. This has raised concern among experts that Africa's most populous nation is at risk of becoming a permanent host to the virus. The H5N1 strain has killed 158 people out of a total of 264 infected since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation. Scientists fear it will mutate so that it can pass easily from human to human. © Reuters 2007 |
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July
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Posted: January 12 2007 at 5:08am |
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Fresh outbreak of bird flu suspected in Nigeria Kano, Nigeria 12 January 2007 12:56 A suspected fresh outbreak of avian influenza has been reported in northern Nigeria's Katsina State with more than 5 000 birds infected, the agriculture commissioner said on Friday. "We have detected an outbreak in three poultry farms in and around the state capital in the past week. We strongly suspect it to be bird flu," Ali Hussein Dutsin-Ma said. "All the symptoms found on the birds suggest avian flu and we don't have to wait for laboratory confirmation to know what we are dealing with", he said. Dutsin-Ma said the symptoms were detected on a small farm in the farming village of Batagarawa outside Katsina on January 2 while two more farms showed signs of infection in the metropolis a week later. "A total of 5 000 infected chickens and pigeons from the three farms have been culled and the farms disinfected in our efforts to contain the spread," he said. "All the workers on the poultry farms have undergone medical checks to ensure they do not contract the virus and they are being closely monitored in case they develop any symptoms to suggest avian-flu infection", he added. The commissioner said samples of the infected birds had been taken to the National Veterinary Research Institute in the central city of Jos for laboratory tests. The deadly strain of avian influenza was first detected on a farm in Jaji, outside the nearby northern city of Kaduna, in February 2006 where it spread to other parts of the country and Africa. More than 450 000 chickens have already been slaughtered in Nigeria, mainly in the north, but no human case has so far been reported. -- AFP |
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July
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Posted: January 12 2007 at 11:12am |
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NIGERIA: Bird flu re-emerges, culling underway 12 Jan 2007 18:29:31 GMT Source: IRIN Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone. Bird flu More ABUJA, 12 January (IRIN) - Nigerian veterinary teams were killing thousands of birds in two northern Nigerian states on Friday to halt the spread of fresh cases of the deadly H5N1 virus. Nigeria was the first West African country to register bird flu when the disease jumped from Asia to Africa last year. Government veterinary teams slaughtered more than 900,000 birds in 2005, according to Nigeria's Agriculture Ministry. But sporadic outbreaks continued, with the last case reported in September in a suburb of Nigeria's largest city Lagos. Junaid Maina, Nigeria's national director of livestock, said new cases of the virus were confirmed this week in northwestern Sokoto and nearby in Katsina state, 800 kilometres northeast of Abuja. "Our teams are out there now culling birds," Maina said. Sokoto's cases are the first ever in the state, while Katsina is among 14 of Nigeria's 36 states struck last year. More than 18,000 birds have been culled in the two states since the beginning of the week, with more than 15,000 killed in Sokoto alone, an official involved in the operation told IRIN. Most of the infections were in commercial poultry farms as supposed to family smallholdings, and compensation is being paid immediately to the farmers, the official said. "Any farm with any sign that looks like avian influenza, we simply depopulate and pay compensation," the official said. Funding has been provided under a scheme supported by the World Bank for immediate compensation of farmers whose birds have been killed by the veterinary teams. Scientists fear the deadly H5N1 strain, which mainly affects birds but has been responsible for over 100 human deaths, could mutate into a strain transmittable between humans and spark a global pandemic. More than 600 Nigerian animal health officials have been trained under a scheme funded by the European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organisation to undertake a nationwide surveillance to track bird flu. The experts will be deployed nationwide later in January, agriculture officials said. dm/nr |
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Posted: January 30 2007 at 10:34pm |
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Info to keep in mind .........
CAPE TOWN
Health depts in 'state of paralysis' Wed, 31 Jan 2007 Provincial health departments in the nine provinces of the country are in a state of paralysis due to corruption and neglect, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday. "A DA analysis of the nine provincial health departments reveals a pattern of neglect, mismanagement and blatant corruption which is having plainly visible consequences for the delivery of health services," DA health spokesperson Gareth Morgan said at a media briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday. His statements were rejected by the national health department on Tuesday, which said many of the allegations were "grossly misrepresented". Morgan alluded to the fact that last year three of the provinces received qualified reports while the rest failed to get a clean report from the Auditor-General, as evidence of the extent of the paralysis. "Three reports were qualified, and in two cases — the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape — the Auditor-General issued a disclaimer because these departments' finances where in too much of a state of disorder to be able to reach any conclusions," he said. Other accusations which Morgan levelled against the departments include the ignoring of tender regulations, the concealing of critical documents and fraudulent conduct by officials. He urged the national department of health to implement measures to ensure there was compliance in provincial departments. "Only the implementation of more stringent measures by the government at national level to enforce compliance will have any impact on this untenable situation," Morgan said. While the national department of health on Tuesday admitted there could be problems in its provincial departments, it rejected the DA's assertion that these amounted to a state of paralysis. "There might be some administrative difficulties that some of the provincial departments have to resolve but these do not add up to widespread corruption and neglect as presented by the DA," said department spokesperson Sibani Mngadi. Individual provinces would respond to specific allegations levelled against them because many of these allegations were grossly misrepresented, Mngadi said, adding that the department did not tolerate corruption. "In cases of corruption, the Department of Health is of the firm view that those should be investigated and the law should take its course," he said.
Sapa |
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Posted: February 02 2007 at 6:05am |
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http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_02_02/en/index.html
Meningococcal disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2 February 2007 From 1 January to 31 January 2007, the Ministry of Health has reported 53 suspected cases including 6 deaths (case-fatality rate, 11.3%) in Adi health zone, Province Orientale, in the north-eastern part of the country, bordering Uganda. Two cerebrospinal fluid specimens have tested positive for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A by latex test. A vaccination campaign targeting 99 400 people is being prepared and will be synchronized with Uganda, which is currently experiencing an outbreak of meningococcal disease in the neighbouring area. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision for Epidemic Meningitis Control has agreed to provide 115 830 doses of bivalent meningococcal vaccine (A/C) along with injection materials and oily chloramphenicol. WHO and Médecins sans Frontières, Switzerland are working with the Ministry of Health to contain the outbreak. Case management, community education and strengthened surveillance are continuing. |
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 8:29am |
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Nigeria last year was the first African country to report BF , and again this year . This is Zimbabwe , just guessing we won't hear from them ...this is just horrible to think thru after reading this article.
One province, Matabeleland South, recently reported that it had only one doctor, based at Gwanda hospital, to service four million people. The full complement of doctors should be 21, including nine specialists. In Marondera, a town 80 kilometres southeast of the capital, toilets in the large public hospital are without water. But desperate patients continue to use them as they wait for hours in the hope of seeing a nurse in the absence of doctors. Zimbabwe: Health System Near Total Collapse
Institute for War & Peace Reporting (London) OPINION Florence Cheda Four-year-old Olinda Makwenje curls up in pain in her hospital bed at Harare's Parirenyatwa Hospital - the capital's most important public health institution - where she has lain unattended for more than nine days as a weeks-long strike by junior doctors continues. The world seems oblivious of little Olinda's plight as a humanitarian crisis much worse than Operation Murambatsvina (Operation Drive Out the Trash) - the government's notorious slum clearance operation which left some 2.4 million people homeless - grips Zimbabwe. Hundreds of people are dying every week due to lack of healthcare since the doctors' industrial action began on December 21 last year, bringing the health delivery system, already battered by a collapsing economy, to a near-total halt. Olinda can hardly eat or take any fluids because of the cancerous growth in her gums, which protrudes out of her little mouth like black volcanic lava.Her cancer was diagnosed last December. She is deteriorating fast and is in need of surgery to stop the cancer from spreading. In the absence of public healthcare, her poverty-stricken family can never hope to afford the four million Zimbabwe dollars (16,000 US dollars at the government's unrealistic exchange rate of 1 US dollar=250 Zimbabwe dollars) - a lifetime's earnings - needed for an operation in a private hospital. No words can describe the agony little Olinda is in with no painkillers in sight to give her even temporary relief. The few nurses manning the wards have no authority to prescribe the drugs she desperately needs to ease the pain. Olinda is among thousands of other Zimbabweans dying painfully slowly in Zimbabwe's deteriorating hospital system, which at independence and the years afterwards was judged the finest in Africa. Since the junior doctors began their action they have been joined by most of their seniors and many nurses. The junior doctors are adamant that they will not return to work until the government meets their demand for a monthly salary equivalent to 1900 US dollars, an increase of nearly 9000 per cent. A junior doctor's starting salary is not enough to fill his car's fuel tank with petrol. What happens to Olinda and other sick people and patients needing surgery at the country's state hospitals? Patients are being turned away. Accident victims with broken limbs, fractured skulls and internal injuries are going untreated and the situation is bound to worsen as the strike continues. Even before the strike the situation was critical. The health system had already collapsed - there is serious understaffing; morale among staff is wrecked; vital equipment is old or not functioning; there is a lack of essential drugs, including anti-retrovirals to treat an HIV/AIDS plague that kills more than 3000 people a week. One-quarter of the population of 11.5 million is estimated to be HIV-positive. Doctors and nurses have had to battle a health catastrophe, lacking such equipment as rubber gloves, saline drips, syringes and painkillers and other essential drugs. One province, Matabeleland South, recently reported that it had only one doctor, based at Gwanda hospital, to service four million people. The full complement of doctors should be 21, including nine specialists. In Marondera, a town 80 kilometres southeast of the capital, toilets in the large public hospital are without water. But desperate patients continue to use them as they wait for hours in the hope of seeing a nurse in the absence of doctors. The healthcare crisis is regarded as worse than Operation Murambatsvina launched by President Robert Mugabe in May 2005, ostensibly to bring order to the cities and towns but actually to pre-empt an urban rebellion against deteriorating living standards. The then United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan was so appalled by reports of the violence and hardships that accompanied the operation that he sent a special envoy to assess the situation. His envoy, Anna Tibaijuka, said Murambatsvina had precipitated a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions and "the government of Zimbabwe is collectively responsible for what has happened".
She said there had been "indifference to human suffering" and that the Zimbabwe government and its operatives had breached both national and international human rights law. Whatever its concern about Murambatsvina, there has been a deafening silence from the UN on the hospital crisis that sees many hundreds of people dying painfully each week. The government, trying to give the impression everything is under control, refuses to send an SOS to the international community for help. The country's deepening economic problems have seen the exodus of many hundreds of doctors, nurses, radiologists, physiotherapists and other skilled health workers to Britain, South Africa and Australia where they can command better pay and conditions. con't
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 1:29pm |
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One province, Matabeleland South, recently reported that it had only one doctor, based at Gwanda hospital, to service four million people. The full complement of doctors should be 21, including nine specialists.
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The government, trying to give the impression everything is under control, refuses to send an SOS to the international community for help.
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I need a stiff drink a grape juice....
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Twiggley
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Joined: February 11 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 156 |
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 3:38pm |
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KENYA - Mysterious disease kills 200 chickens in Nandi North district.
Written By:Wesley ruto/Kna , Posted: Sat, Feb 03, 2007 Caption: The outbreak of the disease is causing panic among the local farmers. A mysterious disease has killed over 200 chickens in a poultry farm in Kapsabet town over the past one week. Confirming the outbreak, Nandi North district veterinary officer Dr. James Merisya said the exact nature of the disease could not be immediately be established but samples from the dead birds had been taken for analysis. Dr. Merisya said the affected birds exhibited symptoms of drowsiness and excessive diarhoea causing parts of the intestines to spill out. The disease outbreak has sparked off panic amongst the locals with farmers disposing off their poultry at a throw away prices for fear of disease outbreak. Dr. Merisya called for proper disposal of the dead birds cautioning those disposing off the birds to wear protective gear. http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=40641 |
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 4:27pm |
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The disease outbreak has sparked off panic amongst the locals with farmers disposing off their poultry at a throw away prices for fear of disease outbreak.
Probably not the best idea.
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 7:31pm |
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I dont know how you folks feel about it , but my gut feeling is that
Africa is the place to watch . Especially so if the Tamiflu resistant version is becomming widespread . |
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 7:36pm |
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AnnHarra, I think I'll chew garlic with my grape juice.
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Posted: February 03 2007 at 11:57pm |
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 6:15am |
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AH the aloe is lovely and so many uses ...
Info on the Congo ......
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Posted: February 04 2007 at 12:02pm |
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Interesting that the analysis results from the Nigerian cluster are back
and there appears to no comment about it being tamiflu resistant . Maybe the Nigerians and other African countries will have another 12 months to get ready . I think it probable that the uglier version has arrived , but is just not wide spread yet. |
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Posted: February 05 2007 at 3:47pm |
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Also in news in Uganda 830 admitted with meningitis .http://allafrica.com/stories/200702051546.html...........................
..........................BF.......Confirmed reports of the virus in Djibouti, Eygpt, Nigeria and Sudan could mean that it is just a border away from Uganda.
Uganda: Bird Flu is Still a Threat
The Monitor (Kampala) February 6, 2007 Jan Ajwang The recent bird flu outbreaks in Africa confirm that the H5N1 virus is sadly finally upon the continent. While many had dismissed the disease as something of the West, it is now urgent that more caution is taken when it comes to addressing avian influenza. Confirmed reports of the virus in Djibouti, Eygpt, Nigeria and Sudan could mean that it is just a border away from Uganda. Besides, the migratory birds, which always perch in various places in Uganda could spread the disease to domestic birds, through close contact with humans.Counter spreadAccording to Dr. Nicholas Kauta, the Chairman of the National Task force, the spread of the "avian influenza is no longer a question of 'if' but 'when.'We can't speculate whether the virus may or may not spread, instead it is expected to spread and measures must be put in place to counter its spread," he said. The H5N1avian influenza virus affects mostly birds but also affects humans. Experts argue that that if it spreads among humans, the virus could interact with other flu viruses in the body to result into a highly pathogenic influenza that could spread faster and wipe out a great number of people and birds. The task is to prevent the spread of the disease from birds to humans to avoid a bigger catastrophe. Previous out breaks of the disease are said to cause massive deaths. For instance a major outbreak in Europe and Asia in 1918- 1919 wiped out between 40-50 million people, which is almost twice Uganda's population. Dr Joseph Litamoi FAO/ AU Regional Project Coordinator says that preventing the spread among birds is paramount, to avoid a major outbreak in humans. "The priority is to prevent the spread of avian influenza at its source," he says. Otherwise "We have reason to be worried that with the occurrence of the H5N1 people's lives must be protected. We should be prepared for a pandemic because many people may die and a diverse social- economic impact may result. We expect a rapid spread of the pandemic especially in more crowded places and conditions," he added. Limited funds Yet although Dr. Kauta says that even though the task force had made initial preparations it is still faced with constraints, like limited funds. "We still don't have sufficient funds to work effectively and sometimes getting the budget approved is a big problem and some people think that we are exaggerating the problem," he says. Although adverts can be heard on radio, calling the hotlines is not toll free. This means that the layman who encounters any suspected case may not be as fast as expected in reaching the authorities. Dr Kauta also says that they are faced with many scares which are also costly in the long run. False alarms
"When people notice anything on their birds, most of them get scared and inform us but they have turned out to be other poultry diseases," he says. Dr. Kauta further says that in the long run it will require a massive vaccination of fowls for other diseases and plans are underway to buy these vaccines. This too has financial implications in reaching other poultry owners at the grassroots level. http://allafrica.com/stories/200702051506.html |
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Posted: February 05 2007 at 11:42pm |
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Posted: February 06 2007 at 9:10am |
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The Nigerian government says 19 states and Abuja, the capital, have reported bird flu outbreaks in the past few days. The latest official bulletin says the H5N1 virus is widespread and continuing in the poultry population in Nigeria. The first case of human H5N1 occurred barely a year after Nigeria reported its first avian influenza outbreak. Since then, the West African country has struggled to deal with the lethal virus. Experts on bird flu are increasingly worried that Nigeria risks becoming a permanent host to the virus. "If you look at the history of the fighting of this disease, there are so many people that are not actually involved," said Dr. Garba Sharabutu, a veterinarian and president of the Nigerian veterinarian association. "If you stop the movement of poultry products, you need the road transport workers to know what is happening. You need the law enforcement agents to know what is happening. You need traditional rulers to know what is happening. It is then and only then, that we will have a very firm control over the disease." Backyard farmers are particularly at risk because of poor surveillance and greater animal-to-human contact. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that backyard farmers keep 60 percent of Nigeria's 140 million poultry. While the strain is easily transmitted among poultry, it is believed that human infection comes from contact with sick animals. Dr. Abdulsalam Nasidi, in charge of public health at the federal ministry of health, says Nigeria is taking the threat to public health very seriously. "It is a pure public health issue, that the possibility of getting this to spread is so high because so many farms have been infected, even though they are being decontaminated," said Nasidi. "So, people must be very, very aware of what they need to do to protect themselves from acquiring this infection." Nigeria and two other countries are considered the weakest link in the worldwide campaign to stem the disease. With its overcrowded cities, endemic poverty, coupled with weak surveillance, Nigerian officials admit tracking the virus has become very daunting. Dr.Jide Idris is a senior health official in Lagos, where the first bird flu-related human death was recorded. "The population of this state is very, very large, very huge. Then our borders are very porous. We cannot fully restrict movement of these birds into Lagos state," said Idris. "We also have people and birds coming from other parts of West Africa. So, it is a bit tough for us." Some Nigerians, including Kayode Oleyele, a veterinary officer in Lagos, are disheartened by a lack of commitment and firm action. "We are not futuristic in our thinking, we think more of now and when you travel outside Nigeria, especially to some of these West African countries and you see how organized they are in trying to solve their problems, you will be surprised that Nigerians are so backward and lackadaisical," said Oleyele. "And they are unconcerned about their problems and I think that does not speak well of us in Nigeria." The deadly strain of Avian Influenza was first detected on a farm outside the northern city of Kaduna, in February 2006, from where it spread to other parts of the country and Africa. |
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Posted: February 06 2007 at 8:42pm |
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This simply has to be a hot spot. Nigeria doesn't report deaths due to H5N1 because they haven't a clue. They don't need to cull birds since they eat the dead ones anyway. No sense in reporting outbreaks since no one cares.
I throw my hands up in the air.
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Posted: February 07 2007 at 3:44am |
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Uganda was posted tonight in Relief Web 930 people with meningitis , 40 dead .................
Uganda: Country to Start Bird Flu Scare Trials
New Vision (Kampala) February 6, 2007 Wamboga-Mugirya EXPERTS on Avian Influenza (bird flu) in Uganda, are to conduct public scare simulations to test the level of readiness in case a pandemic of the deadly virus broke out. The initial exercises to take place on poultry farms, are slated for early this year, as part of the national anti-bird flu preparedness strategy. The strategy is spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)."The simulations shall involve members of the national taskforce cordoning off (quarantine) a selected poultry farm and its people, before the taskforce conducts culling (killing) that farm's poultry as if they were infected with the killer H5N1 - the virus that causes bird flu. The farm-owner would be compensated for the loss," said the Commissioner for Animal Health and Entomology, Dr Nicholas Kauta. He was addressing a training workshop for journalists mainly from African Commonwealth countries, organised by Uganda Media For Health, a Kampala-based firm of journalists and medical experts which does capacity-building among professionals on health issues. The different topics covered included empowering the media on bird flu preparedness, infection control, contribution from partners like WHO, FAO and the EU, internet sourcing and the way forward.
The training was jointly funded by the European Union through its media development agency - EAGLES and the London-based Commonwealth Development Fund. It took place Jan. 29-31 at Royal Impala Hotel, Munyonyo. Countries represented were: Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Seychelles, Tanzania and Uganda, Ethiopia, DR Congo and Mozambique. "The question of bird flu outbreak in Uganda or anywhere else in the world is not a matter of if but when," said Kauta. The taskforce comprises of the Office of the Prime Minister, MAAIF, ministries of Health, Local Government, Water and Environment, the National Environment Management Authority and Uganda Revenue Authority. It has a budget of $17.6m (sh30.5bn). http://allafrica.com/stories/200702070329.html |
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Judy
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Posted: February 07 2007 at 3:59am |
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AnnHarra; I didn't know there were so many varieties of aloe, thanks for the pics. I learn something new here everyday. Laro:Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air over this too. We can do nothing but spread the news to those who will listen and continue to prep. (Aside from prodding local authorities about their plans for the community.) |
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If ignorance is bliss, what is chocolate?
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Posted: February 07 2007 at 5:04am |
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Mother of Sixth Qinghai H5N1 Fatality in Egypt is Hospitalized February 7, 2007 A teenage girl became the fifth Egyptian to die of bird flu in six weeks, a health official said yesterday, amid fears of a global surge in infections by the deadly virus. Nour Nadi, a 17-year-old from the impoverished oasis province of Fayyum, 100 kilometers south of the capital, died Monday of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Nadi’s mother, Marzouqa Ramadan, who may have caught the virus from her daughter, was said to have been admitted to a respiratory illnesses hospital in the Al-Abbasiya district of Cairo, on the same day, where she is being examined by doctors. Comment by Ross The use of the term "Impoverished oasis" gives the impression of a small enclave . In fact it is an area of roughly 20 to 30 miles in diameter consisting of a large number of towns embedded in an agricultural setting . ( In other words , a lot of people in the area ) The Nile river valley is not far away . All of which is a bit of a worry , since she will almost certainly have the Tamiflu resistant version . |
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Posted: February 07 2007 at 11:27am |
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I suppose everyone is still stocking tamiflu, I have a feeling if the first wave of the flu doesn't get you, the second (tamiful resistant) will. I think it's time to start thinking "outside the box." Lots of people on this site and most are very educated about this flu, we should start thinking how to beat this thing without using conventional means, since tamiflu and vacines will probably not be available to most of us.
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Posted: February 07 2007 at 11:32am |
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Laro,
I would like to get my hands on some Peramivir but that won't be out for over a year. I guess it comes down to natural health products and do your best to avoid it. I plan on just staying at home.
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Posted: February 11 2007 at 3:54am |
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7Laws you mentioned staying at home seems the medical staff at this rural hospital clinic feel the same way on weekends. They leave the sick with a guard . Zambia ....
Zambia Redcross slams Lubombo Rural Health Centre personnelMazabuka, Feb 11, ZANIS------The Zambia Redcross Society in Mazabuka says it is disappointed with health personnel at Lubombo Rural Health Centre for allegedly abandoning patients admitted there. Branch President Cosmas Beenzu told ZANIS in Mazabuka that the District Health Director's office should immediately probe why patients are left without being attended to. Mr Beenzu said it is wrong for the health workers to stay at home just because the health policy does not allow them to operate during weekends unless when there is a serious case. He observed that a cardiac patient currently admitted to Lubombo health centre needed care from health workers because of the gravity of the disease she is suffering from. And reacting to Mr Beenzu, Lubombo Clinical Officer- in- charge, Oneil Mubiana told ZANIS that he does not see anything wrong because a security guard is always there to inform his team whenever the condition of patients worsen. Mr Mubiana however explained that health workers on weekends would visit the centre to administer drugs to patients admitted thereafter they go home to rest until Monday. ZANIS/ENDS/HC/CLM/ |
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Posted: February 15 2007 at 3:08am |
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When heavy flooding occurs in inland Australia there is a massive explosion of the bird population a few months later.
This is due to factors like - Increased insects/bugs - Increased flora growth - Increased water life in general ( fish , plants etc ) There also tends to be an increase in migratory water birds . I say all this because in recent days and months been heavy flooding in a lot of African Countries . So the prediction is that in say 9 months from now ( or however long it takes ) there will be a vast increase in bird traffic around the African continent. Given the penetration of H5N1 in Africa already , I would expect that the situation will escalate explosively in 7 to 9 months . All of this assumes that things work the same way in Africa as they do in Australia. |
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Posted: February 15 2007 at 3:15am |
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If H5N1 has killed a number of rodent predators in Nigeria like
cats , vultures etc I would expect to see an explosion in rodent numbers. But I have not seen any such reports. Although there are reports of rodent numbers increasing in other parts of the world which are attributed to factors like the weather , agriculture etc. Which makes me wonder if keeping of cats is popular in Nigeria ??? Could the rodents have died from H5N1 ? Anybody been to Nigeria ? |
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Posted: February 18 2007 at 4:08am |
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Ivory Coast: Gov’t steps up surveillance on bird flu
Sun. February 18, 2007 03:39 am.- By Bonny Apunyu (SomaliNet) Following the death of a Nigerian woman who contracted the illness last month, the Ivorian government has stepped up surveillance of poultry to detect possible outbreaks of avian influenza.
Alphonse Douaty, minister of Animal Production and Marine Resources said as part of Côte d’Ivoire’s measures, thousands of agents from the government’s committee to fight bird flu have been deployed to assess the situation. Douaty further said the bird flu fight is being decentralised to facilitate communication. “For some time we have been crisscrossing the towns of the interior of the country to put in place departmental committees to fight avian flu. Like at the national level, these committees must serve as relay centres for information concerning the illness and warn in case it is detected,” Douaty told reporters. Meanwhile, over 165 people have died of avian influenza around the world, but the Nigerian death was the first human fatality in sub-Saharan Africa. Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled across the sub-region to stem the spread of the virus. In West Africa, bird flu has also been detected in Burkina Faso, Niger and Cameroon. The latest efforts by the Côte d’Ivoire government do not extend to the north of the country, which is controlled by rebels. The nation has been divided since a brief civil war in 2002. however, the World Health Organisation spokesman in Abidjan, Souleymane Koné, said the division of the country did not affect the international agency’s efforts to control avian flu. “At our level, all the prevention programmes, notably vaccination and tracking birds, encompass the entire national territory, including the government zone and the north of the country,” he told IRIN on Friday. Ivorians say there is little trading of poultry between the north and the south. The Ivorian government formed its central avian flu committee last April after the first case of the disease was detected in the country. A mass culling followed that outbreak. Another outbreak at a poultry farm outside of Abidjan occurred in November. Douaty encouraged Ivorians, particularly poultry farmers, to maintain vigilance and alert authorities if they notice any sick birds - domesticated or wild. The Ivorian government is expected to soon announce a vaccination campaign against avian flu. Officials said it would be free for farmers raising fewer than 1,000 head of poultry and less than one US cent a head for those with larger flocks. Although poultry breeders in the past were skeptical about the threat of avian influenza, they appear to be taking it more seriously since the human death in Nigeria. “We’re always worrying,” said Lamine Keita, owner of a farm with 2,500 poultry on the outskirts of Abidjan. “We have learned that it arrived in Nigeria and we have decided to follow to the letter the recommendations of the government.” But vendors and consumers remain doubtful of the potential threat. “Each time they announce avian flu it’s for us to lose money. The poultry that remains for us is that which is left over from the end of year celebrations and we are going to sell it whatever happens. If authorities want, they should also ban the consumption of poultry,” said Abou Koné, a poultry vendor in the neighbourhood of Port-Bouët. “We agree with him,” said Maxime Koffi, one of the clients lining up in front of Kone’s stall. “We mostly eat chicken. We think the chicken he sells is of good quality and we buy it without a second thought.” -IRIN |
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 1:45pm |
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More than 680 people have died in a suspected cholera outbreak in Ethiopia that has also affected neighboring countries, officials said Wednesday. Some 60,000 people have been infected, but the country's Health Ministry is resisting pressure to declare an emergency despite a U.N. warning that the disease is an epidemic. "The fact that it is spreading to new areas in the country is cause for serious concern," said Paul Hebert, head of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ethiopia. "The full extent of this needs to be addressed." The U.N. has not officially declared the outbreak, which began nearly a year ago, to be cholera. But U.N. officials speaking privately because of the sensitivity of the issue are saying it is cholera, something local officials continue to deny. Eight of Ethiopia's 11 regions have already been affected by the outbreak, according to Ethiopia's Health Ministry and the U.N. The remote eastern region of Afar has recorded more than 1,000 new cases in the last week alone. The outbreak started in April 2006 after heavy rains in the country. Neighboring Somalia and Kenya have also been hit, and more than 1,000 people have been infected with suspected cholera in Uganda's capital since October. In Kenya, 17 people have died since October. In Somalia, there have been 39 reported deaths since the beginning of the year, the U.N. says. "Once a disease has been present for an extended period of time, then the likelihood of it being eliminated is quite difficult," Hebert said. "I don't think we are addressing this issue on the scale that is needed and it needs to be targeted to have an impact."
Ethiopian health officials, who say the disease is not cholera, are describing the outbreak as acute watery diarrhea, but they have not shared any of the test results that they have carried out. Health Ministry spokesman Ahmed Emano said that contrary to U.N. concerns, the outbreak was being contained by the government. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and bad sanitation. Symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting and it is deadly if untreated. "It can kill someone in as little as five hours," said Kebba O. Jaiteh, emergency officer with the U.N.'s World Health Organization in Ethiopia. Ethiopia's economy could suffer if the country declares a cholera emergency, especially in international trade and tourism. "Many African countries don't declare a cholera emergency even when they know for a fact that it is in their country for these very economic reasons," Jaiteh said. The U.N. in Ethiopia has said the disease is suspected of having entered Ethiopia from Sudan last year, where the disease was confirmed in early 2006. U.N. officials in Ethiopia are unable to act on their own about the issue and are obligated to follow the lead of the country's Health Ministry. Only after a disease has been recorded as active in an area for one year can the WHO declare an emergency and label the disease as endemic to the country. Fears are mounting that with the onset of next month's rainy season the outbreak could worsen. < =text/> function kezel(box,link1,link2) { if (box.style.display=='none') { box.style.display=''; } else { box.style.display='none'; } link1.style.display='none'; link2.style.display=''; } function linkset(box,link) { box.style.display='none'; link.style.display='none'; } http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?id=10001&lang=eng |
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Posted: February 21 2007 at 4:31pm |
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more news on AFRICA...
Southern Africa: International Federation boosts response to help flood and cholera victims
5 February 2007 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is increasing its support to Red Cross National Societies in southern Africa and releasing additional funds, to respond to devastating floods in the region since the beginning of January. The flooding is also causing a marked increase in cholera cases in some areas. The most affected countries are Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Angola: In the Cacuaco region of Angola at least 71 people have died and 184 families have lost all their personal belongings. Roads were submerged and bridges were damaged. The heavy rains also worsened the cholera outbreak that began last year. Since January 1, a total of 3,868 new cases have been reported in 15 out of 18 provinces, with Luanda, Cabinda and Benguela the most severely hit. Angola Red Cross volunteers have distributed emergency items including tents, chlorine tablets and jerrycans, to 180,000 households as well as hygiene promotion messages. Zambia: Torrential rains have also lashed parts of Zambia. In the North, they have caused the collapse of 200 houses and pit latrines in the areas of Solwezi and Mpulungu, bringing up serious water and sanitation concerns. Zambia Red Cross is providing emergency help, including chlorine tablets, and is closely monitoring the cholera situation. Cholera cases have been reported in parts of the country since October 2006 and over the last week, the number of cases has been on the rise in the capital, Lusaka. A total of 414 cases have been recorded and some 143 people have died. Mozambique: Mozambique has also been hit by heavy rains, especially in the North and Central regions. They are expected to continue in parts of the country, bringing fears of more damage. More than 6,000 people lost their homes and crops have been washed away, leading to a risk of food insecurity in the months to come in Nampula province. Mozambique Red Cross has been providing emergency help to those affected by the floods and is closely following developments. Malawi: Malawi has experienced torrential rains since early January. More than 20,000 households have been affected in the Chikwawa district, 475 houses have collapsed in the Nsanje district and nearly 900 hectares of crops have been washed away. Malawi Red Cross has been providing emergency supplies to the victims, including tents and tarpaulins. Zimbabwe: In Zimbabwe, at least 9 cases of cholera were reported on January 30 in Mabvuku, a suburb of the capital, Harare. The lack of clean drinking water and the lack of garbage collection are aggravating the threat of communicable diseases. Several cases have also been reported in the Kariba district. The Zimbabwe Red Cross is closely monitoring the situation with the Ministry of health and child welfare In late 2006, severe flooding affected many areas of eastern and central Africa. Today, torrential rains are affecting southern Africa. “The International Federation has released additional funds from its emergency reserves, and is ready to step in with more resources, if needed, since heavy rains are forecast,” says Françoise Le Goff, Head of the International Federation’s regional delegation in Harare, Zimbabwe. “We need to urgently increase our response capacity by supporting our national societies to reach the victims in the disaster areas with basic commodities and make a difference to the most affected,”she adds. The International Federation has released more than 270,000 Swiss Francs (US$ 216,000, € 166,000) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund for Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. An emergency appeal to combat cholera in Angola for 1.2 million Swiss Francs has been extended until June 2007. To date, it is only 55 % covered and donors are urgently requested to increase their support to avoid further spreading the epidemics. For more details on the DREF bulletins, please click on the links below: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/07/MDRAO002.pdf http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/07/MDRMW002.pdf http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/07/MDRMZ002.pdf http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/07/MDRZM004.pdf .............................................................................................................. International Federation launches emergency appeal for flood victims in Mozambique
16 February 2007 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching an emergency appeal for 7,5 million Swiss francs (US$ 5.6 million/€ 4.3 million) to support the Mozambique Red Cross Society’s response to the devastating floods which have been affecting the country over the last month. Torrential rains have caused rivers to overflow - including the Zambezi - and increased pressure on dams, resulting in widespread flooding in central and southern parts of Mozambique. At least 29 people have lost their lives, more than 46,000 homes have been washed away and approximately 88,600 people have been displaced. The government’s body responsible for disaster response estimates that 285,000 people may possibly be affected in the worst-case scenario. The most affected provinces are Zambezia, Sofala, Manica and Tete where flooding destroyed thousands of houses, more than 100 schools, four health centres, several roads, bridges and 15,000 hectares of crops. So far, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated by the army from the flooded Zambezi river valley, using helicopters and canoes. “Throughout the affected areas, cases of cholera and malaria are expected to rise dramatically,” says John Roche, the International Federation’s officer for southern Africa in Geneva. “There is a need for the international community to act quickly to avoid repeating the tragedy of the floods in 2000 and 2001 when 700 people died,” he adds. The International Federation is mobilizing its regional delegation for southern Africa, as well as a field assessment and coordination team and a logistics emergency response unit of the Danish and Swiss Red Cross Societies to assist with the reception and distribution of all incoming relief goods. “The operation aims at providing temporary shelter to 100,000 people in the four affected provinces, as well as distributing 5,000 tents, 15,000 tarpaulins, 40,000 blankets, 20,000 kitchen sets, bars of soap and 40,000 mosquito nets,” says Hanna Schmuck, the head of the Federation’s field assessment and coordination team in Maputo. “The appeal funds will also finance the provision of safe water to affected people and the construction of 500 latrines,” she adds. Mozambique Red Cross volunteers will also conduct health education and social mobilisation campaigns to prevent cholera and other water-borne diseases. As soon as water levels started to rise, the Mozambique Red Cross immediately mobilized 400 volunteers to provide first aid and distribute relief supplies to flood victims, to inform populations in flood-prone areas about evacuation procedures and help them relocate to safe areas. It also launched a national solidarity campaign to raise support for the relief operation. Mozambique Red Cross, working closely with the National Disaster Management Institute which is coordinating disaster response, is taking the lead for the provision of temporary shelter and relief items. Mozambique Red Cross is experienced in preparing for and responding to floods. It is working closely with other partners, including UN agencies. On January 19, the International Federation released 37,000 Swiss francs (US$ 29,800/€ 22,700) and an additional 150,000 Swiss francs (US$ 121,000/€ 92,000) on February 11, from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Mozambique Red Cross emergency operation. It is also closely monitoring the situation and sending DREF funds to other affected countries, including Angola, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia. |
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Posted: February 24 2007 at 7:20am |
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Mild flu virus expected, say experts Flu season In STH Africa..
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Posted: February 26 2007 at 4:26am |
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Seven people, including five from one family and a neighbour, have died .
Uganda: Masindi Killer Disease Not Meningitis - Experts
New Vision (Kampala) February 25, 2007 Kyetume Kasanga MEDICAL authorities in Masindi have ruled out meningitis as the cause of the recent deaths in Mutunda sub-county, Kibanda county. Seven people, including five from one family and a neighbour, have died since an outbreak was reported in Kajebe village about three weeks ago. "There are only two meningitis cases in the district and those are recovering at Kiryandongo Hospital, but the disease that is killing our people is elusive and highly contagious," Dr. John turyagaruka, the district health officer, said on Saturday. He was addressing an emergency epidemic control task force meeting chaired by the district vice-chairperson, Jacob Karubanga, at the district chambers. The task force has surveillance, case management, logistics, mobilisation and coordination departments. Up to 110 people have died of meningitis in West Nile and Kotido district, out of about 3,000 reported cases since the epidemic broke out early this month. It has left schools, markets and disco halls closed in six districts. |
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Posted: February 27 2007 at 2:11am |
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Goes with below news report .
UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS - UGANDA (MASINDI): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ************************************************************** A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> Date: 26 Feb 2007 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> Source: All Africa [edited] <http://allafrica.com/stories/200702260482.html> Uganda: Masindi killer disease is not meningitis ------------------------------------------------ Medical authorities in Masindi have ruled out meningitis as the cause of the recent deaths in Mutunda sub-county, Kibanda county. Seven people, including 5 from one family and a neighbor, have died since an outbreak was reported in Kajebe village about 3 weeks ago. "There are only 2 meningitis cases in the district, and those are recovering at Kiryandongo Hospital, but the disease that is killing our people is elusive and highly contagious," Dr John Turyagaruka, the district health officer, said on Saturday [24 Feb 2006]. He was addressing an emergency epidemic control task force meeting chaired by the district vice-chairperson, Jacob Karubanga, at the district chambers. The task force has surveillance, case management, logistics, mobilization and coordination departments. Up to 110 people have died of meningitis in West Nile and Kotido district, out of about 3000 reported cases, since the epidemic broke out early this month [February 2007]. It has left schools, markets and disco halls closed in 6 districts. -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [In the absence of information on the clinical syndromes associated with these unexpected deaths in Uganda, it would be exceedingly hazardous to attempt a differential diagnosis of possible etiologies. More information on this outbreak from knowledgeable sources would be greatly appreciated. For a map of the involved area, please see <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/uganda_pol_2005.jpg>. Masindi is to the east of Lake Albert. - Mod.MPP] [see also: Meningococcal disease update 2007 (08) 20070222.0654 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (07) 20070213.0538 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (06) 20070207.0484 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (05) 20070203.0438 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (04) 20070129.0379 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (03): Uganda 20070125.0339 Meningococcal disease update 2007 (02): Sudan 20070124.0326 Meningococcal disease update 2007 20070123.0300] http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4326725834056541844::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,36480 |
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Posted: March 01 2007 at 2:30pm |
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Chad is high on the BF list in Africa watch . They rape children as young as 4 years of age ......... and cull the rest .... The increasing insecurity has also meant that most of the essential international and local staff of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations working in eastern Chad have been relocated. Since December 2006 they have been operating from Abeche (the main town in eastern Chad) or N'Djamena (Chad’s capital city). International law - responsibility to protect Source: Amnesty International (AI)Date: 01 Mar 2007 Chad: Civilians under attack - Darfur conflict spreads to eastern Chad
“First they took my child from me and threw her on the ground. Then two of the men raped me.” Testimony of a displaced woman The conflict in Darfur has spread to eastern Chad. Several thousand people have been killed. Thousands of women and girls have been raped. Entire villages have been pillaged and destroyed and their inhabitants have been forcibly displaced. Eastern Chad is in the grip of a human rights and humanitarian crisis, which has caused the mass exodus of entire populations. Who is responsible for these terrible abuses? The main perpetrators are militias known as the Janjawid, some of whom come from Sudan, some from Chad, along with other Chadian armed groups. The climate of insecurity is increasing tensions between communities considered to be “arabs” and communities considered “non-arabs”. At the same time, Sudan and Chad accuse each other of sponsoring, harbouring and arming opposition armed groups. Relations have deteriorated to the point that, on 28 November 2006, the government of Chad declared that it was in a “state of war” with Sudan. The increasing insecurity has also meant that most of the essential international and local staff of UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations working in eastern Chad have been relocated. Since December 2006 they have been operating from Abeche (the main town in eastern Chad) or N'Djamena (Chad’s capital city). International law - responsibility to protect Under international law, parties to an armed conflict have a responsibility to take all feasible steps to ensure the protection of civilians. Deliberately targeting civilians in a situation of armed conflict is a flagrant violation of international law. It is a war crime. In some circumstances it could be a crime against humanity. The government of Chad has a duty to protect civilians present on its soil. This duty does not cease to exist because of an armed conflict. |
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Posted: March 01 2007 at 6:35pm |
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Swine Fever Kenya
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER - KENYA (UASIN GISHU) ***************************************** A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> Date: Tue 27 Feb 2007 From: Brent Barrett <salbrent@sbcglobal.net> Source: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation [edited] <http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=41187> An outbreak of African swine fever is reported in Uasin Gishu district. The area's provincial director of veterinary services, Dr Eliakim Otenyo, is urging pig farmers not to let their animals roam around to curb the spread of the disease. Dr Otenyo has also banned the importation of livestock from Uganda and other provinces. He urged wananchi [a Kiswahili word for citizens] to notify veterinary officers of any strange disease, and also asked farmers in the province to revive crush pens for easy vaccination of livestock. [byline: John Muoki/Kna] -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease of domestic and wild pigs that affects animals of all breeds and ages, caused by a virus that produces a range of syndromes. The ASF virus is the only member of the _Asfarviridae_ family. Acute disease is characterized by high fever, hemorrhages in the reticuloendothelial system, and a high mortality rate. Infectious virus can survive for several months in fresh and salted dried-meat products. The disease is not zoonotic. Uasin Gishu District is a political region in the Rift Valley, western Kenya, bordering the Trans-Nzoia District. Its capital is Eldoret; see map at |
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Posted: March 02 2007 at 2:06am |
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Okay this is Zambia arhhhh.......... Add it to the shame file ........
Zambia News Agency -St Fedelis Hospital in Chilubula runs out of food for patientsKasama-March 2,---- ZANIS- Saint (ST) Fidelis Hospital in Kasama's Chilubula has run out of food for patients and may stop admitting in-patients until the situation improves. Bululu Ward Councillor in the area Everist Chela, in a statement to ZANIS in Kasama said the hospital has no funds to procure food stuffs for patient as it has not been receiving any grants from Government for over one (1) year. Mr. Chela said patients at the health institution were going without food prompting the hospital administration to contemplate closing some wards and stop admitting in-patients. He said, the last Government grant to the hospital was in January last year adding that all other health centres in the hospital's catchment area have also not been receiving grants since last year. The Ward Councillor named the seven Rural Health Centres that have also been affected as Zambia National Service at Chishimba, Chilongoshi, Chiombo, Munkonge, Kasakula, Lubushi and the newly established clinic at Selu. He said, with the scrapping of user fees, management at the health facility was struggling to make ends meet without Government grants. Mr. Chela has challenged District Commissioner for Kasama Lt. Col. Stephen Chanda to visit the institution to see for himself. ZANIS/ENDS/KS/CLM |
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July
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Joined: May 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1660 |
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Posted: March 05 2007 at 9:41am |
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South Africa: Country Plays By Tough Rules for Ostriches
Email This Page Print This Page Business Day (Johannesburg) March 5, 2007 Posted to the web March 5, 2007 Tamar Kahn Johannesburg The local ostrich industry is pulling out the stops to make sure its exports meet the stringent health and safety standards set by the European Union. THE Economist noted wryly last year that western fears about cheap imports from Asia eroding the manufacturing base have taken a new twist. Instead of fretting about a flood of cheap T-shirts and microwaves, governments are anxiously watching the spread of bird flu, specifically the virulent H5N1 strain, which many experts fear could spark off the next flu pandemic and kill millions of people around the world. That particularly nasty strain of bird flu grabbed newspaper headlines around the world, as it spread from Asia to Europe and north Africa, leaving a trail of financial destruction in its wake. Farmers were forced to cull more than 30000 infected birds. So far, SA has been spared the ravages of H5N1, but the country has already had to deal with a nasty relative periodically imported by wild birds -- H5N2. Although this ugly cousin is not dangerous to humans its presence in poultry flocks can spell economic disaster for farmers, as the local ostrich industry can attest. In 2004 an outbreak of H5N2 in ostrich farms in Eastern Cape resulted in the European Union (EU) imposing a 15-month ban on fresh ostrich meat imports from SA. The outbreak was eventually contained, but many farmers had to cull infected flocks and the industry lost 4000 jobs and R700m in sales, says the Ostrich Business Chamber, which represents the South African Ostrich Producers Organisation and the National Ostrich Processors of SA. Chamber head Anton Kruger says the local ostrich industry took swift action after this nasty wake-up call, and worked closely with the agriculture department to tighten up bio-security measures on ostrich farms. So, when the next outbreak occurred, in Albertinia in Western Cape last July, the EU immediately banned imports, but this time swift eradication of the virus meant the market was reopened four months later. Nevertheless, even that brief disruption of export markets cost the industry R400m as the EU takes 90% of SA's fresh ostrich meat. SA's early ostrich industry grew out of the boom years in the 1880s, when ostrich feathers were all the rage worldwide, especially for ladies' hats and theatrical productions. The industry, which was based in Oudtshoorn, collapsed in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. It took another 50 years before ostrich farming became an attractive business, only this time it was driven by the growing demand for ostrich meat and leather. SA is now home to two-thirds of the world's commercially raised ostriches, largely concentrated on farms in the southern and eastern Cape. Today the industry generates about R1,2bn in foreign income each year, more than a third of which comes from fresh ostrich meat sales to the EU. "It's a lifestyle meat, not a commodity," says Kruger. "It's popular with restaurant chefs, particularly in Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands." Only one-fifth of the exported meat is sold to retailers, he says. Ostrich producers export the majority of leather to the US, where it is a popular choice for cowboy boots. Feathers are a relatively minor money-spinner, but as the Ostrich Business Chamber proudly says on its website that they have plenty of glamorous uses -- from Rio Carnival costumes to the skirt worn by Claudia Henkel at the 2005 Miss Universe pageant. Kruger says the local industry is largely self-regulating, and constantly upgrades its biosecurity rules for farmers and producers. For example, after last year's small outbreak of H5N2, the industry realised that ostriches need to be kept away from open water sources such as dams, where wild birds drink. This is because infected wild birds may contaminate the water via their droppings, which contain the virus. The biosafety regulations for ostrich farmers now require all open water sources to be fenced off from ostriches, and they may only drink from water in closed troughs, which must be refreshed daily. "If a farmer doesn't comply with the regulations, we can prohibit him from slaughtering his birds at one of the eight abattoirs approved for exports," Kruger says. Relevant Links Southern Africa South Africa Health and Medicine Food, Agriculture and Rural Issues Trade EU regulations require complete traceability of fresh ostrich meat, from "farm to fork", so all ostriches are given a unique code recorded on the chamber's database. There is no fancy technology involved -- the number is simply printed on a tag attached to the bird's wing. "We have stringent bio-safely measures in place," says Kruger. "No ostrich moves without its 'ostrich passport' guaranteeing that it is free from ticks, Newcastle disease and bird flu." |
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July
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Posted: March 06 2007 at 8:59am |
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Beware, Bird Flu Menace is Not Over Yet
The East African (Nairobi) OPINION March 6, 2007 Posted to the web March 6, 2007 By Richard Odindo Nairobi East African countries have to prime their public health systems for the real possibility of another epidemic, stressing household kitchens and taking human life much in the same way the Rift Valley Fever has done in Kenya over the past one month or so, and recently in Tanzania. Since 2003, health experts worldwide have monitored a new and extremely severe influenza virus, the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain - better known as the bird flu. It has spread rapidly, infecting millions of poultry units in almost 50 countries, in which nearly two-thirds of the world's population live. In Africa, a total of 14 avian influenza outbreaks occurred in eight countries between February and December 2006. Africa recorded its first outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in February, 2006, in domestic poultry. Since then, seven other African countries - Egypt, Niger, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and Djibouti - have reported infection and disease outbreaks. Given the interaction that goes on between populations in these countries and their neighbours, it is critical for authorities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to begin sensitising their nationals, especially domestic and commercial poultry keepers, on what to do to fend off the virus, or manage it should it enter their borders. Over the past three years, the virus has caused the largest and most severe outbreaks of highly pathogenic disease ever recorded in poultry, leading to over 200 million poultry deaths, including culling in domestic birds in a number of countries. There is a need to minimise infection opportunities because every infection presents a chance of genetic mutation that might give rise to a pandemic virus. Thus, preventing the human pandemic requires control of the disease in animals and sensible precautionary measures to prevent cases of human infection. THE HIGHLY pathogenic avian influenza virus has developed into a concern for human health for two main reasons. First, since December 1997, this virus has caused severe disease in people, with more than 200 human cases, about 60 per cent of whom ended up dying. The second and far greater concern, for human health is the risk that the virus - if given enough opportunity - will develop the characteristics needed to start an influenza pandemic. It is three years since WHO began recording human cases of infection with avian influenza A (H5N1). A description of 205 laboratory-confirmed cases occurring up to end of April 2006 found that 90 per cent of cases were in people aged below 40, that the overall case-fatality rate was 56 per cent, that the median interval from illness onset to hospitalisations was four days, and that the median duration from illness onset to death was nine days. In a recent WHO study it was found that the overall case-fatality rate in avian influenza is 60 per cent. This rate is highest (76 per cent) among those aged 10-19 years; and lowest (40 per cent) among those over 50. Overall, the case-fatality rate was higher among women (65 per cent) than men (55 per cent). This updated analysis found that mortality among those aged 20-39 was higher in females than in males. Direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their faeces, is considered the main route of human infection. To date, most human cases have occurred in rural or peri-urban areas where many households keep small poultry flocks, which often roam freely, sometimes entering households or sharing outdoor areas where children play. THE PRACTICE of home slaughtering, including plucking and other handling of birds, presents the greatest risk of the disease being transmitted to humans in areas with outbreaks in poultry. As a general recommendation, sick poultry should not be slaughtered for food, and other poultry already dead from any disease should not be eaten. This recommendation is as important for bird flu as it is for all other diseases. Most human cases associated with the virus since 2003, have been linked to close contact with infected domestic birds, with especially high risks thought to occur during home slaughter, plucking, butchering and preparation for cooking. Consumption of inadequately cooked poultry and poultry products (including eggs and blood) is an additional risk. The spread of avian influenza in Africa is a key concern because all countries on the continent are at risk as they lie below major flyways for the migratory birds. There is also a high risk of illegal trading in wild birds and poultry products. Because of the rapid spread of the avian influenza, East African countries have to strengthen their epidemic preparedness and response capacities in order to reduce opportunities of human exposure. Richard Odindo is a consultant in behaviour change communication. |
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Posted: March 08 2007 at 3:28pm |
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as we prep and prepare spare a thought and a dollar for our not so lucky brothers and sisters living in Africa....
"All indications are that southern Africa could be heading for yet another year of critical food shortages," said Amir Abdulla, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa.
Source: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Date: 08 Mar 2007 Southern Africa braces for poor harvests
Parts of Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia, have been struck by devastating floods which have destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of crops during the most critical growing stage. In stark contrast, Lesotho, Namibia, southern Mozambique, and much of Swaziland and large swathes of Zimbabwe's cropland, have all been affected by prolonged dry spells which have withered and killed crops or reduced their development. Lesotho, for example, is expecting up to a 60 percent decline in agricultural output over last year's harvest. In addition, South Africa, which is usually the largest producer of maize in the region and one of WFP's procurement points, is facing poor harvest prospects due to recent weeks of extreme heat and drought in some parts of the country. Reduced harvests in South Africa could be especially problematic when responding to food shortages in the region, particularly as prices for maize have already started escalating "All indications are that southern Africa could be heading for yet another year of critical food shortages," said Amir Abdulla, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa. "For some parts of the region, it's simply too late to hope that a late burst of rainfall will change people's food supply outlook for the year ahead." One of the countries worst affected by dry spells is Swaziland, which is potentially facing a sixth consecutive year of poor harvests -- perhaps the worst in 25 years. In the last few months, Swaziland has suffered delayed rainfall, heavy winds and hailstorms, and then scorching dry spells. This year, the impact of the dry spells is expected to be felt countrywide and not just in the traditionally dry Middleveld, Lowveld and Lubombo Plateau. "Early indications are that this could be the worst agricultural year in Swaziland due to drought since 1992," Abdulla said. "We are now pulling together an assessment team to determine the extent of crop failure and the likely impact on the country's food supply, but initial findings are grim." Since 2002, WFP has been supporting about a quarter of Swaziland's 1.1 million people with food assistance to improve the nutrition of families affected by drought, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. However, even in a normal year of harvests, nearly half the population is classified as suffering from food insecurity. Parts of Zimbabwe are of particular concern as early indications are that cereal crops in much of the southern half of the country have been decimated by a long dry spell in January and early February. In other parts of southern Africa, despite the erratic weather, Malawi is expected to yield a bumper harvest again this year, while Zambia and northern Mozambique are also likely to produce good harvests that will represent buying opportunities for WFP as in previous years. Crops are usually harvested during April and May. Since 2004, harvests in southern Africa have generally improved due to better weather patterns and the broader availability of seeds and fertilisers. As a result, the number of people requiring food aid has steadily declined. However, due to chronic poverty and nine of the ten highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world, food security in southern Africa remains precarious, requiring WFP to currently assist 4.3 million people. "We are watching the region very closely to see what assistance may be needed to help the poorest and most vulnerable people through the months ahead," Abdulla said. "Assessments need to be carried out as soon as possible to determine the impact agricultural losses may have on these groups, but already the early indications for several countries are alarming." Even without the additional c******enges that would be posed by widespread erratic harvests in southern Africa, WFP faces a funding shortfall of about US$97 million for current operations through to the end of 2007. Donors to date: United States of America, US$159.4 million; EC – EuropeAid and ECHO, $86 million; United Kingdom, US$37.3 million; Japan, US$23 million; Malawi, US$22 million; Netherlands, US$19.4 million; Canada, US$17 million; Ireland US$9.8 million; Australia, US$8.7 million; and Algeria, US$8 million. WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 58 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People... WFP Global School http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/JBRN-6Z4HNW?OpenDocument |
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Posted: March 14 2007 at 4:05am |
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Posted: March 15 2007 at 5:36pm |
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'Part of article follow links for full read .... The animals also are apparently picking up human
bacteria -- some of them with antibiotic resistance, according to a University of Illinois (UI) study.
CHIMPANZEES, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE - UGANDA ******************************************* A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> [1] Date: Sat 10 March 2007 From: Mary Mars****** <tropical.forestry@btinternet.com> Source: The News-Gazette.com (Champaign-Urbana, Il) [edited] <http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/03/10/chimps_humans_share_bacteria> Proximity between chimpanzees and people in a protected wildlife area in Uganda may be leaving them with more in common than an ancestor in the distant past. The animals also are apparently picking up human bacteria -- some of them with antibiotic resistance, according to a University of Illinois (UI) study. The study in Uganda's Kibale National Park is the 1st to show such a transmission in a protected wildlife area and without direct contact between the animals and people, UI Professor Tony Goldberg said recently. "I think the bottom line is maybe we should be more concerned than we have been," said Goldberg, a veterinary pathobiology professor in the UI College of Veterinary Medicine and principal investigator of the study. "We should be aware of the risk of infectious disease transmission, probably both ways." Indeed, some of the most prominent infectious diseases to emerge recently are believed to have jumped from animals to humans, HIV, Ebola, and bird flu among them. Chimpanzees in some areas have likewise exhibited signs of polio-like disease, and gorillas of measles and mumps. Diseases spread to humans can travel fast today as well, as fast as an airliner can fly from Africa to Chicago, for instance. "Diseases like SARS show how quickly a global epidemic can spread," said Goldberg, a leader in tracking the spread of pathogens by studying their genetic makeup. Goldberg said the new study also raises concern about the ease with which antibiotic resistance may be transmitted, to wildlife in particular. The burgeoning of resistant pathogens already is a human health threat, rendering commonly used antibiotics ineffective in some cases. But the spread of resistance has been thought to be largely a result of such developed-nation problems as over-prescription of antibiotics by doctors and widespread use of antibiotics in domestic animal feed. To do the study, the UI researchers, working with colleagues from Makerere University in Uganda and McGill University in Canada, examined 2 of the communities of chimpanzees living in the Kibale park. One of them has been under study by scientists for more than 2 decades. The other is visited regularly by ranger guides who shepherd tourists in the park. The researchers collected samples of _E. coli_ bacteria from the chimpanzees and from the human scientists and guides. They also collected samples of _E. coli_ from villagers who live about 3 and 15 miles (5-24 km.) from the park and have little if any contact with the chimps. http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4326725834056541844::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,36684 |
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Posted: March 16 2007 at 7:20am |
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Please see post before Uganda..............
Uganda: Nakasongola Health Unit Closed Over Evil Spirits New Vision (Kampala) March 15, 2007 Posted to the web March 16, 2007 Kampala A Government health unit in Nakasongola district has been closed following complaints that it is haunted by evil spirits, which reportedly rape nurses and torture the male staff, writes Frederick Kiwanuka. Nabiswera health centre III, in Nabiswera sub-county, was closed on Wednesday after all the medical staff, including the in-charge, fled. According to the Nakasongola LC5 secretary for health, Dungu Kimeze, some of the victims said the 'mysterious beings' appeared in form of naked male adults and would strike in the middle of the night. "The nurses, upon waking up the following morning, would feel like they had slept with a man. For the men, the feeling was of fatigue, like they had spent the night wrestling. We had to take them away." He said the district health chief had in the meantime redeployed them at the district referral hospital in Nakasongola. Beliefs in witchcraft are widespread among the Baruuli who form the bulk of Nakasongola's estimated 130,000 population. Two years ago, a primary school in Lwampanga sub-county was temporarily closed after the teachers and the pupils complained of invisible beings, which they said canned and hurled stones at them. http://allafrica.com/stories/200703160165.html |
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Posted: March 16 2007 at 8:19pm |
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I doubt this is the only place the spirits are " carying on". Superstition - I think it comes in many forms, this is just one, but for these people, i'm sure it's the honest to goodness truth. I truely hope the religious people in the world realize that when this flu hits, they are on their own and should avoid crowds no matter how faithful they are. Perhaps a bit of preparation could be, designating a certain part of your own home as the place for religion and prayer, during the pandamic.
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Posted: March 21 2007 at 7:00am |
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No wonder they are afraid look what we are trying to do here.........
Nigeria: 'Hybrid Rice Can't Cure Diarrhea' This Day (Lagos) March 20, 2007 Posted to the web March 20, 2007 Godwin Haruna Lagos Attempts at introducing Genetically Modified (GM) rice as a pharmaceutical crop to treat diarrhea in African children is unnecessary, demeaning and a calculated move to distract from ongoing global programmes to save children suffering from the disease, the Friends of the Earth Africa (FOE Africa), has said. A new variety of GM rice containing Human genes is set to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for large-scale planting in Kansas, United States after two other states barred such plantings. The California-based biotech company, Ventria Bioscience, announced that the rice which had been engineered to produce recombinant human milk protein will be used in oral rehydration solutions to treat diarrhea and also as supplements in yogurt, sports drinks and granola bars. Friends of the Earth groups in Africa, in a statement issued through Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), condemned the action, stating that barely few months after the illegal contamination of (GM) rice LL601 in Ghana and Sierra Leone; proponents of GMO are once again using Africa to propagate their illegal and unsafe crops. The group added that despite refusal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the recombinant pharmaceutical product as safe, not only was Ventria going ahead with its massive planting of drug-containing rice, but 150 infants from age 5 to 33 months have been used to experiment this technology in Peru, one of Latin American's poorest countries. According to FoE Africa, parents of the children were not adequately informed of the experimental nature of the treatment, and at least two mothers of infants in the clinical trial reported that their infants suffered serious allergic reactions, causing Peruvian government to launch an enquiry into the experiment. "Africa does not need a genetically modified solution for diarrhea. The solution of diarrhea lies with its cause, not GMO. We are yet to get over the contamination in West Africa of GM rice as commercial imports and food aid from the United States and now this, we are becoming increasing concerned at diverse moves to permeate GMO in this continent,", said FoE Africa GMO campaigner, Nnimmo Bassey. The first GM food containing human genes is set to raise many socio economic, cultural, religious as well as ethical questions besides the environmental and health concerns, the groups streesed. http://allafrica.com/stories/200703200219.html |
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Posted: March 21 2007 at 6:23pm |
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[No official information about Zimbabwe's HPAI (highly pathogenic
avian influenza) situation has been published by the national authorities nor distributed by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) since February 2006. Generally, the animal health situation there -- and its reporting -- seem to leave ample room for improvement. ............................................ .No reports since 2006 .................. Why ??? Archive Number 20070321.0988 Published Date 21-MAR-2007 Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (56): Zimbabwe, RFI AVIAN INFLUENZA (56): ZIMBABWE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ******************************************************* A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> Date: Mon 19 Mar 2007 From: Natalie Rourke <nrourke@zoo.org.au> Our zoo in Australia is planning to sponsor the donation of backyard fowl to a community in rural Zimbabwe. Could anyone provide us with information regarding incidence/prevalence of H5N1 in the region and the estimated risk such a programme would represent? -- Natalie Rourke, veterinarian Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee, Vic. 3030 Australia <nrourke@zoo.org.au> [No official information about Zimbabwe's HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) situation has been published by the national authorities nor distributed by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) since February 2006. Generally, the animal health situation there -- and its reporting -- seem to leave ample room for improvement. Responses to Natalie's request will be welcomed. - Mod.AS] [see also: 2006 ---- Avian influenza, ostriches - Zimbabwe: susp 20061028.3089 2005 ---- Avian influenza - Africa (03): Zimbabwe, H5N2 20051208.3537] .......................arn/mj/mpp http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4326725834056541844::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,36782 |
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Posted: March 24 2007 at 6:26am |
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Uganda .............................
let KCC slaughter them, sell the meat and use the proceeds to clean the city," Bukenya said yesterday. Hundreds of chicken, goats and cattle roam the city everyday.................... Uganda: Slaughter Stray Animals - VP New Vision (Kampala) March 12, 2007 Posted to the web March 12, 2007 Geresom Musamali Kampala TO get rid it of stray animals in the city, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has advised Kampala City Council (KCC) to slaughter them. "If the owners cannot keep the animals in one place, let KCC slaughter them, sell the meat and use the proceeds to clean the city," Bukenya said yesterday. Hundreds of chicken, goats and cattle roam the city everyday. Bukenya was speaking at the Serena Hotel Kampala after a 4km-walk to commemorate the Commonwealth Day. The theme of the day was 'Respecting Differences and Promoting Understanding.' He appealed to Ugandans to be proud of hosting the Commonwealth summit (CHOGM) in November, saying it is a rare opportunity for the country. "Let us all be proud of being Ugandans, East Africans and Africans in general and for being blessed to host the Queen of England and 120 other heads of state." Bukenya commended Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala for trying to clean the city but noted that the walkways and pavements needed to be worked on urgently. He directed Sebaggala to enforce a by-law on rearing animals in the city, saying it is one of the efforts to ensure that the city is clean ahead of CHOGM. The Vice-President said the Government was ready to support KCC in beautifying the city. Bukenya urged property owners in Kampala and Wakiso districts to give their buildings a facelift. http://allafrica.com/stories/200703121506.html |
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Candles wrote:
