Bird Flu - Archives
January 2007
New Vaccine
CSL is a well-regarded Australian
pharmaceuticals company, with a particular strength in flu vaccines. It has
now
announced (pdf file) the development of a
bird flu
vaccine. That sounds like good new.
January 31st, 2007
Still Spreading?
Still the Western media seem to be treating lightly what appears to be a
growing spread of bird flu cases. Latest developments:
- there are reports of a new
outbreak in Russia;
-
Nigeria is testing samples from 14 people, including three who died, for
possible bird flu;
- the
death of a boy in Azerbaijan is being seen as possibly linked to bird
flu.
January 30th, 2007
I Told You It Was Serious
I've not been able to understand the apparent blasé attitudes in the
West to current bird flu outbreaks in Asia. They look serious to me. At
least The Economist seems to agree, with a report titled "Coming
Home to Roost?".
January 29th, 2007
Don't Blame Birds for All Bird Flu - What About Flies?
An
Indonesian scientist has warned:
...not to place too much of the blame for bird flu on poultry as other
animals could also carry the virus.
Veterinary pathologist Wasito of Yogyakarta's Gajah Mada University's
veterinary medicine said that other animals such as cats, dogs and even
flies could also carry the H5N1 virus.
"A study we are conducting here, for example, has convincingly found that it
is possible for flies to spread the bird flu virus."
January 26th, 2007
Bird Flu Back in Europe?
Bird flu has been detected in Hungary.
At
least one website says it's H5N1.
January 26th, 2007
Bird Flu Bustin' Out All Over
As feared, the northern winter is seeing more bird flu outbreaks, though
with Europe and America (so far) largely unaffected, we don't read a lot
about it. Here are some of the latest developments:
- The world is
years away from stamping out bird flu in poultry, and the threat of a
human pandemic will remain until it does, said the head of WHO.
- Hungarian
authorities are testing five dead geese for bird flu.
- Bird influenza is now
endemic in
Indonesia because of past delays in dealing with H5N1, says an
Australian expert.
- A new outbreak is
suspected in
Japan, and
confirmed
in Thailand.
- Many bird flu outbreaks are
not even reported, says the FAO.
- A fifth farm has been
infected in
South Korea, and authorities are to kill 660,000 hens and pigs.
- Shares of
Toyama Chemical Company have jumped 11% on the company's plan to start
clinical tests in Japan on a drug that may be used to treat bird flu.
January 24th, 2007
Asia Bird Flu Update
Japan
- the bird flu outbreak at Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu has been confirmed
as the H5N1 virus. Miyazaki is Japan's biggest chicken producer. The impact
on the poultry industry will be major.
China will spend more than $1 billion to wipe out bird flu - by 2015.
Tests on 500 stray cats in
Indonesia found that 100 of them had H5N1. Despite this, they were set
free after the tests. "I had no right to destroy them," said the scientist
who conducted the tests.
Ducks are infected in
Thailand.
Vietnam
reports that the virus has spread to a fourth province. Meanwhile,
"officials brace for the worst prior to February's Lunar New Year
festivities, when people and poultry are on the move".
January 18th, 2007
South Korea, Indonesia and - Japan?
South Korea has confirmed a case of H5N1 human infection. More cases are
reported in
Indonesia. And bird flu is suspected in the death of 750 chickens in -
gulp -
Japan. Reuters has a useful chronology of
bird flu
developments during the past 12 months.
January 12th, 2007
What's Happening in Asia?
The International Herald Tribune provides a
useful round-up:
Bird flu has killed again in Indonesia and is picking up speed elsewhere
in Asia, with fresh outbreaks in Vietnam and a new human case reported in
China, officials said Wednesday.
January 11th, 2007
Welcome to 2007
AsiaNews
reports:
The first person to be stricken by bird flu in Indonesia this year is
seriously ill. Vietnam and Hong Kong have recorded new cases of infection of
birds while the problem of illegal vaccines has reared its head again.
And then there's
this:
Hong Kong was on bird flu alert Friday after a wild bird found in a busy
shopping area was tested positive for the avian flu virus.
January 9th, 2007
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