Avian Influenza

News Update, August 26

H5N1 in Poultry
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society on August 24 on a new study, in which mice learned to detect viruses in feces by smell. According to USDA scientist Bruce A. Kimball, "Based on our results, we believe dogs, as well as mice, could be trained to identify a variety of diseases and health conditions.” The researchers anticipate that their findings could lead to the use of trained disease-detector dogs to screen feces, soil, and other samples as an early-warning system for the emergence and spread of flu viruses. They also hope to identify the specific odor molecules that the mice sense and develop detection instruments for use in the field and in the laboratory.

Indonesia. On August 25, H5N1 bird flu infected 60 chickens on a farm in East Java province. The owner reported that he had noticed the death of some chickens awhile ago, but had put off reporting the incident to the Livestock Service. After more chickens died, he reported the case and tests showed that the chickens were infected with bird flu. The Livestock Service has disinfected the area to prevent the spread of the disease.

Vietnam. There have been six outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu in Vietnam since May 5. Two of the outbreaks occurred in Thai Nguyen, two in Dak Lak, one in Quang Nam, and one in Gia Lai. All except for the one in Gia Lai have been resolved. A total of 6,057 birds have been killed by the disease and 4,923 have been culled as a preventative measure. The source of the outbreaks may have been the introduction of new live animals, illegal movement of animals, or contaminated objects. Preventative measures such as quarantine, movement control, disinfection of the premises, and modified stamping out have been put in place.

H5N1 in Humans
Egypt. On August 25, the Health Ministry announced a new case of H5N1 bird flu. The patient is a woman from Qalyubiya governorate. She contracted the virus through contact with infected poultry and is being treated for high fever and breathing difficulty at Cairo hospital. She is in critical condition even after treatment with Tamiflu. This is the 122nd confirmed human case of H5N1 in Egypt. (more...)

Visit Pandemic & Avian Flu.gov for all related federal information. The Department of the Interior's role in federal pandemic & avian planning is detailed here.