August 18 Flu Update
Bird flu has now been found in fowl in Japan, though it may be a mild version.Recombinomics on the Japan Report.
AVCLUB Eddie sent me this link to last night's NBC Nightly News, which did a bird flu story.
WHO is asking Russia and Kazakhstan to monitor for bird flu, including patients presenting with respiratory difficulties.
The LA Times has this on wary farmers in China.
Germany is preparing as if the worst is happening....isn't that a novel concept. Even so, what they can do is very limited.
Vietnam is intensifying the bird vaccination program.
The latest WHO update is out. Its titled "Geographical spread of H5N1 avian influenza in birds," if that gives you an idea where it is going.
WHO fully agrees with FAO and OIE that control of avian influenza infection in wild bird populations is not feasible and should not be attempted....
The expanding geographical presence of the virus is of concern as it creates further opportunities for human exposure. Each additional human case increases opportunities for the virus to improve its transmissibility, through either adaptive mutation or reassortment. The emergence of an H5N1 strain that is readily transmitted among humans would mark the start of a pandemic.
In Malta, pharmacies are complaining at being left out of bird flu planning...
though they also say they have enough medicine.
CIDRAP writes on Japan and the WHO report.
Helen Branswell, Fluitzer nominee, writes on yesterday's WHO report (see Canary in the Mine) that called for stockpiling drugs for their staff.
Recombinomics has a report of wild bird flu in Mongolia.
Recombinomics also has news of flu near the Caspian Sea.
Recombinomics notes that China is offering to share its isolate data. He goes on to point out that the rapid spread of this disease is a rare opportunity to study the virus in action. Also, he has this to say:
The data should make it abundantly clear that a serious vaccine effort is required, and targeting a single isolate with limited resources is hazardous to the world's health.
Effect Measure has today's must read on the spread of the disease into Europe. If you want a critical summary of public statements and what the news of recent days could really mean, read on.
ProMed has this report from Russia that says the bird die-off cited by Effect Measure was actually saline poisioning.
ProMed on the continuing spread in Russia.
Silviu at H5N1 has this about a recent report on vaccine development. It raises a key point. If you want to have capacity, you have to promise to buy the vaccines no matter what.
posted by Orange @ 11:10 PM
1 Comments:
Small correction: Silviu's site is "Avian Flu--What We Need to Know." My site is "H5N1."
I continue to rely on this site for an excellent daily survey.
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