So my wife asks me the other day...

[Osce0la]

"What happened to the Bird Flu? I haven't heard anything about it in a long time..."

I told her that it is my belief that it was "overhyped media bulls***" and that the media just needed something for us to panic over...Now that we have North Korea playing with their bottle rockets, the focus has now shifted towards getting us to panic over an attack from the North Koreans that will never happen.

So, my question is - Exactly what did happen with the whole bird flu thing? Was I right? It was just overhyped media bulls***?

[mdklatt]

So, my question is - Exactly what did happen with the whole bird flu thing?

It's spreading.


Was I right? It was just overhyped media bulls***?

Too soon to tell.

[MamaMia]

Here is a site that has updates on the bird flu and some other things.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/birdflumapwang3.asp

[Okla-homey]

I believe you are correct in your analysis that bird flu has been eclipsed by a new journalistic crisis dejour.

[swardboy]

I'd be more concerned about West Nile Virus:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/symptoms.htm

[slickdawg]

I'd be more worried that my secretary moves to Birmingham to get a job, with you.

[mrowl]

I think we should be really worried about SARS. ;)

[SoonerWood]

I think we should be really worried about SARS. ;)

Not since they came out with these!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqcbmJtIRJ8&search=sars

[Chuck Bao]

I’ve only read one tiny article about bird flu in the last week and the article was buried way inside the newspaper. Basically, the article said that the Thai government has given up claiming that it was eradicated.

It’ll take another cluster death of some families in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam or Turkey and then it will go back to the front pages.

[Osce0la]

I'd be more worried that my secretary moves to Birmingham to get a job, with you.
Oh God, and one of the women I work with is leaving next week...

[Ike]

From what I understand...

Bird flu is still spreading, but as this is no longer the migratory season, it won't really spread farther than it already is for a little while. But its getting some hype because its pretty nasty.

West Nile has been in the states for a few years (as I mentioned before, they found some WN infected mosquitos in a pond thats about 150 yards from my house), however, most people never exhibit any symptoms of west nile, even when infected by it....It can get nasty, but the probability is rather low.

[OUstudent4life]

From the infectious diseases email update I get every day...

And it's REALLY REALLY LONG!!!


AVIAN INFLUENZA (149) – Europe: FAO UPDATE
*********************************************
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, 4 Jul 2006
From: Joseph Domenech, FAO
Source: FAO/AIDE update on Avian Influenza, No 40, 19 Jun 2006 [edited]
<<http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/209858/AVIbull040.pdf>http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload//209858/AVIbull040.pdf>


EU countries (as of 15 Jun 2006)
- ------------
In the EU area, [13 countries have reported] HPAI
H5N1 since Feb 2006, [of which 8] in wild birds
only (*): Austria*, Czech Republic*, Denmark,
France, Germany, Greece*, Hungary, Italy*,
Poland*, Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Sweden and United Kingdom*.

During the winter, the EU took harmonised control
measures: import bans on live birds and
potentially risky poultry products such as fresh
poultry meat and untreated feathers from all
countries and regions which have detected and
confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza; mandatory
surveys for avian influenza; step-up preventive
measures; enhanced routine surveillance in wild
birds; increased biosecurity and risk prevention
measures such as preventing gatherings of birds
at markets, shows and cultural events;
prohibition of hunting with decoy birds; keeping
poultry indoors if necessary; and preventive
vaccination which was subject to stringent
controls with the DIVA (Differentiating between
Infected and Vaccinated Animals) strategy to
distinguish between vaccinated birds and those
with avian influenza. In case of a suspected or
confirmed case in wild birds being found, a 3-km
protection zone and a 10-km surveillance zone
were declared together with provisions for
surveillance and requirements for the containment
of poultry indoors and enhanced biosecurity and
movement restrictions in both zones.

In addition, 2 risk areas around protection and
surveillance zones were defined. The risk areas
served as a buffer zone between the outbreaks and
the non-affected parts of the member states. The
latest confirmed outbreak was in Bacs-Kiskun,
Hungary, in domestic geese on 9 Jun 2006.

Poultry within the vicinity including 2300 geese
at the farm concerned had already been culled and
the farm was disinfected. Between February and 21
May 2006, a total of 741 wild birds tested
positive for H5N1, but the disease did not spread
much to domestic poultry. H5N1 was reported in
domestic birds in 5 countries (one per country
only) and all 5 countries reported H5N1 in wild
birds prior to the detection in domestic birds.
(see map at:
<http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/adns/map/20060609/Europe.png>)

Other Europe and Caucasus (as of 14 Apr 2006)
- -------------------------
Of 13 countries which reported H5N1 in their
territories, [5, namely] Bosnia and Herzegovina
(2 Feb 2006), Bulgaria (12 Feb 2006), Croatia (24
Mar 2006), Georgia (23 Feb 2006) and Switzerland
(30 Mar 2006) reported cases only in wild birds.
[The data from the other 8 countries are as follows:]

1. Albania (as of 9 Mar 2006):
- ----------
HPAI H5N1 occurred on 16 Feb 2006 in chickens in
Cuke, Sarande County,Vlore State and in backyard
poultry (chickens, turkeys) in Aliko, Sarande
County, Vlore State. Samples tested positive for
H5 by the Veterinary Research Institute in Tirana
on 23 Feb 2006 and were confirmed at
VLA-Weybridge, UK on 7 Mar 2006. Reported
mortality in Cuke was 100 percent. The Veterinary
Research Institute has been monitoring samples
around intensive poultry (chicken) establishments.

The control measures taken included: stamping out
and disinfection; a 3-km radius quarantine zone
and a 10-km radius surveillance zone around the
outbreaks; control of wildlife reservoirs [What
is the actual meaning of this term? - Mod.AS].
Compensation was given to villagers at 700 leks
[USD 7.63] for a grown chicken and 400 leks [USD 4.36] for a chick.

Another outbreak was found in Ndroq, Peze-Helmes
Village, Tirane on 9 Mar 2006. In total, 2538 poultry have died or been culled.

2. Azerbaijan (as of 11 Apr 2006]:
- --------------
In February, numerous swans and crows were found
dead in Khachmas and Devechi Rayons; dead wild
and domestic birds have also been found in
Masalli, Bardeh, Ganjeh, ****** and around Baku,
according to the media. On 10 Feb 2006, a wild
swan from Absheron Peninsula, Caspian Sea coast,
tested positive for H5N1. On 27 Feb 2006, HPAI
H5N1 outbreaks in poultry were reported in
Ghiljazi, Khyzy Rayon and Samedabad, Biljasuvar
Rayon. A total of 296 000 poultry were culled. A
duck in Banovshalar, Agdam Rayon was found dead
and H5 was confirmed on 20 Mar 2006. The control
measures taken include: stamping out;
disinfection; quarantine; movement control. WHO
confirmed 8 human cases, of which 5 were fatal
(62.5 percent). The locations of human cases
were: Salyan Rayon -- Sarvan and Daikyand
settlements (between 23 Feb and 11 Mar 2006), and Tarter Rayon (9 Mar 2006).

In February, when a massive die-off of swans had
occurred in Salyan Rayon, the human cases were
suspected of being involved in de-feathering dead
wild swans. Poultry deaths have also been
observed in the settlements in end-February/early
March. [The distribution of suspected/confirmed
avian cases and confirmed human cases are
indicated on the map, accessible at the above URL].

FAO has sent a disease control expert to assist
Azerbaijan in disease management.

3. Croatia (as of 12 Apr 2006):
- ----------
Croatia reported the 1st case in a wild bird on
21 Oct 2005. Since then, more than 200 days have
passed and 50 wild bird cases have been reported
in the country. No infection in poultry. The
latest case was a mute swan (_Cygnus olor_) found
dead in Novi Zagreb on 24 Mar 2006. The control
measures taken include: setting up of a 3-km
protection zone and a 10-km surveillance zone
around the site where a case was found;
identification of all holdings; implementation of
on-farm biosecurity measures including
disinfection at the entrance/exit of poultry
housings; [in the 3-km protection zone] census of
species and total number of poultry; periodic
visits to all commercial holdings for clinical
inspection of poultry; movement control of
poultry products; active disease monitoring in
wild bird populations; increasing disease
awareness amongst owners, hunters and
bird-watchers; keeping poultry indoors;
obligatory reporting by the poultry owners to the
veterinarians of any changes in health status of
poultry; ban on poultry and other captive bird
movement, gathering, transport through the
protection zone except transit on major
roads/railways and for direct slaughter; despatch
ban on hatching eggs, poultry meat products and
poultry litter/manure from the protection zone,
and ban on hunting of wild birds; [in the 10-km
surveillance zone] movement control of poultry
and other captive birds and hatching eggs within
the zone; ban of poultry and other captive birds’
movement for the first 15 days following the
establishment of the zone, poultry gathering ban;
and hunting ban of wild birds.

4. Romania (as of 14 Jun 2006):
- -----------
The 1st outbreak was reported in October 2005,
and since then cases were reported every month
till 27 Mar 2006. During the period of 5 Oct 2005
- - 6 Apr 2006, all 46 outbreaks occurred in small
backyard premises and no commercial farms were
affected. The control measures taken were:
stamping out, disinfection, movement control and
surveillance, and vaccination was prohibited. The
last movement control was lifted on 21 Apr 2006
in Constanta County. There was no outbreak
reported for about 2 months, when a new outbreak
started on 4 May 2006 in Brasov County.

On 16 May, 5 outbreaks in 5 different villages in
Brasov County were officially reported. Within 16
days, 88 cases [outbreaks] were reported in 15
counties out of the 41. As of 9 Jun, 19 counties
were infected. Commercial farms are also
infected. The control measures taken include:
stamping out and disinfection; movement control
including vehicles and people; screening; and
hunting ban. The latest case was reported on 25
May 2006 in the north-western Craiesti Country.
Informal trade is suspected to be a cause of the disease introduction.

5. Russia (as of 26 May 2006):

Following the outbreak in Mostovskogo, Karasnodar
Province, North Caucasus of Russian Federation
about 495 000 birds died and 220 000 birds have
been culled in the Caspian Sea area since 3 Feb
2006. In March, H5N1 virus was found in wild
ducks in Kabardino-Balkar Republic, and dead
swans tested positive for HPAI in
Achhoj-Martanovskom District, Chechen Republic.
Outbreaks in the Republic of Dagestan began with
the death of wild swans and suspected to have
spread by crows and seagulls scavenging
carcasses. Deaths of more than 160 wild birds
were reported. Cats were also tested positive for
HPAI. Contamination of feed mills by wild birds
was also suspected as one of the routes of
infection at 2 major poultry farms. In Dagestan
Province HPAI was confirmed in 14 districts
(Karabudahkentskogo, CHarodinskogo, Bujnakskogo,
Babajurtovskogo, Derbentskogo, Hasavjurtovskogo,
Tabasaranskogo, Tarumovskogo, Kizljarskogo,
Kiziljurtovskogo, Geregebilskogo,
Sulejman-Noaeuneiai, Kajakintskogo and
Nogajskogo) and in 5 cities (Makhachkala,
Buinaksk, Hasavjurt, Kaspijsk and Kizlyar),
including 3 integrated poultry farms in
Karabudahkentskogo and Bujnakskogo districts.
H5N1 was also confirmed at a poultry processing
plant in Stavropol, Stavropol Province. Russia
started mass vaccination of poultry on 10 Mar
2006, 63.3 million vaccine-doses had been
delivered by 5 May. H5N1 infection was detected
in Volgograd at the end of March, and again in
early April. H5N1 antibodies were found in wild
birds in Rostov Area in April during the routine
monitoring. In May, HPAI infection was confirmed
in Kochkovkiy District, Novosibirsk Province in a
non-vaccinated flock and in Maksimovka Village,
Tyukalinsky District, Omsk Province. HPAI
Antibodies were found in Altaisky Province after
deaths of nearly 170 poultry. The H5 antibodies
detected in Krasnoyarsk Province in hunted wild
ducks (_Scolopax gallinago_, _Anas platyrhynchos_ and _Anas crecca_).

6. Serbia and Montenegro (as of 12 Jun 2006):
- --------------------------
Mute swans (_Cygnus olor_) found dead (17 deaths
out of 30) discovered on 28 Feb 2006 at Veliki
Backi canal in Zapadno Backi, tested positive for
H5, and in the river Drina, Severno Backi on 14
March. On 15 Mar 2006, an outbreak in poultry was
reported in Zlatiborski, in the area bordering
Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a clinical survey.

The control measures taken before positive cases
were found include: confinement of poultry and
other birds; hunting ban of water fowl; border
movement control; import ban of live birds,
hatching eggs, poultry products from AI infected
or suspected countries; biosecurity measures;
active disease monitoring programme in wild
birds; establishment of National Center for
Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza and 25
regional centers; establishment of 220 mobile
veterinary teams; periodical veterinary visits to
all poultry holdings; establishment of a call
centre; establishment of border disinfection points; public awareness campaign.

Control measures taken after the discovery of
infection till 21 days after the final
disinfection: setting up of a 3-km radius
protection zone and a 10-km radius surveillance
zone; identification of all holdings within the
zones; ban on movement of live captive birds,
poultry, hatching eggs, poultry products;
periodical visits to all holdings and clinical
inspection; enhancement of biosecurity measures
including disinfection at the entrances/exits of
poultry holdings; ban on assembly of poultry and
other captive birds including markets; ban on
transport of live birds through the zones;
hunting ban of all game species; ban on
unprocessed litter/manure transport from poultry holdings.

7. Turkey (as of 16 May 2006):
- -----------
The last reported cases were in Bulgurlu koyu,
Akdagmadeni subprovince, Yozgat Province on 31
Mar 2006. During the 2005/6 winter, more than 2.5
million poultry were culled. As of 16 May 2006,
all restrictions around outbreaks had been
lifted. Restrictions on the holding of live bird
markets and the hunting of wild birds are still in place.

8. Ukraine (as of 12 Jun 2006):
- -----------
Ukraine lifted all movement restriction by March;
however deaths of 32 chicken and ducks were
detected in Semisotenka Village, Lenin district
and Kamenka Village, Crimea on 14 Mar 2006.
Door-to-door inspections were conducted. The
Ministry for Emergencies of Ukraine also
organised the 1st inter-ministerial avian
influenza simulation exercise in Malynychi
Village, Khmelnytskyi Region. Grand cormorants
(_Phalacrocorax carbo_, 50 dead and 6 sick) found
on an island at Lake Sivash (Strilkove Village,
Henichesk District, Kherson Region) on 20 Apr
2006 tested positive for H5N1. [This information
was officially notified to the OIE on 12 May
2006; see <http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/AIS_18.HTM#Sec5>. - Mod. AS].

The latest outbreak was reported on 12 Jun 2006
when H5N1 was detected in backyard poultry in
Peski Village, Burinsky District, Sumy Region.
The birds were kept near flood-lands in the
proximity of a river. The control measures taken
include: stamping out and disinfection, and
movement control. Quarantine posts have been
established on the roads entering the village.
The Ministry of Emergency has formed 5 teams for
culling operation for about 7200 birds. Compensation for the birds is planned.

[Dio]

can somebody give me the ADD version of that? TIA

[LilSooner]

This is typically where I would say something snarky about it being propaganda pushed by the healthcare industry to push a few extra cases of isolation gowns and masks, but I wont. :)

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

It's horse ****...the scientist will say something gay about migratory patterns stopping it but in all honesty, people that still live in the dark ages dying doesn't really concern me. Oh ****...people in Indonesia and West Really Suckytown are dying WoW, could it be that they live in a nasty *** country that doesn't have anyone to regulate food. Do you know when the dark plague ended...when people learned to stop burying people in their drinking water...we aren't talking geniuses here

[GDC]

This is typically where I would say something snarky about it being propaganda pushed by the healthcare industry to push a few extra cases of isolation gowns and masks, but I wont. :)

You forgot the extra cases of Tamiflu.

[OUTromBoNado]

Overhyped.

Media.

Bull$hit.

[afs]

The news tonight said that the Hanta Virus is expected to make a big comeback this summer.

[RacerX]

Albania
Albania
She borders on the Adriatic