Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

CHINA CULLS OVER 100 THOUSAND CHICKENS FOLLOWING BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
Authorities in China's remote northwestern region of Xinjiang have culled more than 150,000 chickens following an outbreak of bird flu, officials said. The outbreak of the {Taiwan News, 3 Jul}

CHINA BIRD FLU OUTBREAK SEES MASSIVE CHICKEN CULL
Authorities in China's remote north-western region of Xinjiang have culled more than 150,000 chickens following an outbreak of bird flu. {ABC News, 3 Jul}

MEXICO DECLARES BIRD FLU EMERGENCY
Mexico has activated a national emergency plan to contain a bird flu epidemic that has affected nearly 1.7 million poultry, the Agriculture Ministry said Monday. {CriEnglish, 3 Jul}

CHINA CONFIRMS H5N1 BIRD FLU OUTBREAK IN XINJIANG
China's northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has reported an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced Monday. {Global TImes, 3 Jul}

MEXICO DECLARES EMERGENCY OVER NEW BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
The Mexican government has declared a national animal health emergency in the wake of a new outbreak of bird flu that has affected some 1.7 million fowl, leaving around 870,000 dead.Read Full Article at RT.com {RT News, 3 Jul}

MEXICO DECLARES EMERGENCY OVER NEW BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
The Mexican government has declared a national animal health emergency in the wake of a new outbreak of bird flu that has affected some 1.7 million fowl, leaving around 870,000 dead. {RT.com, 3 Jul}

THE UNCERTAINTIES OF PANDEMIC FLU
A major collaboration between US research centers has highlighted three factors that could ultimately determine whether an outbreak of influenza becomes a serious epidemic that threatens national health. The research suggests that the numbers in current response plans could be out by a factor of two or more depending on the characteristics of the particular pandemic influenza... {Medical News Today, 3 Jul}

CHINA CULLS 150,000 CHICKENS IN BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
China has culled more than 150,000 chickens in its remote northwestern region of Xinjiang following an outbreak of bird flu, officials said. {The Telegraph, 3 Jul}

BIRD FLU: MEXICO DECLARES BIRD FLU EMERGENCY; CHINA CONFIRMS H5N1 OUTBREAK IN XINJIANG
{ThePoultrySite, 3 Jul}

CHINA REPORTS H5N1 OUTBREAK IN LARGE CHICKEN FLOCK
The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in northwestern China has confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 avian flu in chickens that has killed 1,600 birds and led to culling of more than 150,000 additional poultry, according to reports today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Xinhua, China's state-run news service. {CIDRAP News, 2 Jul}

RESEARCHERS FIND H9N2 IN EGYPTIAN BROILER POULTRY
Italian and Egyptian scientists have identified H9N2 avian flu in commercial broiler chickens for the first time in Egypt, according to a study today in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. {CIDRAP News, 2 Jul}

STUDY FINDS HIGH MORTALITY IN H1N1 PATIENTS TREATED WITH PERAMIVIR
Researchers report that 29 (51%) of 57 critically ill California patients who received intravenous peramivir during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic died, raising questions about the safety and efficacy of the drug. {CIDRAP News, 2 Jul}

CHINA REPORTS BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
Authorities in China's remote northwestern region of Xinjiang have culled more than 150,000 chickens following an outbreak of bird flu, officials said. {Agence France-Presse, 2 Jul}

MEXICO DECLARES BIRD FLU 'EMERGENCY'
The Mexican government declared a national animal health emergency in the face of an aggressive bird flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultry. {Hindustan Times, 2 Jul}

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK DECLARED IN MEXICO AND CHINA
Mexico City, Mexico (4E) – Mexico on Monday declared a bird flu emergency after the virus infected nearly 1.7 million poultry in the country. {Gant Daily, 2 Jul}

CHINA CONFIRMS H5N1 BIRD FLU OUTBREAK IN XINJIANG
China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has reported an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced Monday. {Xinhua News Agency, 2 Jul}

RESEARCHER SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND LINK BETWEEN OBESITY, FLU SEVERITY
The recent H1N1 flu pandemic was found to be particularly dangerous to obese people, and a Wayne State University researcher is looking for clues as to why. {Phys.Org, 2 Jul}

MEXICO DECLARES BIRD FLU EMERGENCY
MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government declared a national animal health emergency on Monday in the face of an aggressive bird flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultry. {Taipei Times, 2 Jul}

IRELAND : LOW PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA (POULTRY)
Report date : 2012-07-02 17:22:17Country : IrelandDisease: : Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry) {World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), 2 Jul}

PRO> INFLUENZA (52): USA (FL) SURVEILLANCE INFORMATION
Influenza — Worldwide/Unknown {ProMED-mail, 2 Jul}

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK HITS CHICKEN FARMS IN MEXICO
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An outbreak of avian flu in western Mexico has killed at least 870,000 poultry birds since its detection last month but poses no threat to humans, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. The H7N3 flu was detected in two municipalities in the state of Jalisco, Mexico's largest chicken farming region, and authorities have been working quickly to contain the outbreak, a statement from the ministry said. "There is no risk of infection (in humans) as a result of consuming poultry," said Jose Munoz from the Jalisco state government. ... {Reuters, 2 Jul}

1,600 CHICKENS DIE IN CHINA FROM BIRD FLU
BEIJING, July 2 (UPI) -- China's Ministry of Agriculture said Monday 1,600 chickens died in a bird flu outbreak, forcing the destruction of 156,439 other birds as a preventive measure. {United Press International, 2 Jul}

GENETIC AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATIONS OF A NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS FROM SWINE IN CHINA
Background: Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) has been considered to only infect avian species. However,one paramyxovirus named as Xiny10 was isolated from swine. The differences of Xiny10,another previous swine NDV (JL01) and vaccine strain La Sota were ... {7thSpace Interactive, 2 Jul}

EVALUATING VIRAL INTERFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENZA VIRUS AND NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS USING REAL-TIME REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION-POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION IN CHICKEN EGGS
Background: Simultaneous and sequential allantoic cavity inoculations of Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken eggs with Influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) demonstrated that the interaction of AIV and NDV during co-infection was ... {7thSpace Interactive, 2 Jul}

IMMUNE RESPONSE TO FLU DIFFERS DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS RECEIVED DURING INFECTION
Not only does the type of flu virus affect a patient's outcome, but a new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that the number of viruses involved in the initial infection may be important too. Scientists from Canada found that when mice were infected by relatively high concentrations of the flu virus, they not only developed immunity against the virus that infected them, but this also promoted the generation of a type of immune cell in the lungs poised to rapidly react against infections with other strains of the flu, as well... {Medical News Today, 2 Jul}

BIRD FLU: S. AFRICAN OSTRICH FARMERS FACE RUIN; MEXICO BIRD FLU CONTAINED TO 10 FARMS
{ThePoultrySite, 2 Jul}

MEASURING THE UNCERTAINTIES OF PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
A major collaboration between US research centers has highlighted three factors that could ultimately determine whether an outbreak of influenza becomes a serious epidemic that threatens national health. The research suggests that the numbers in current response plans could be out by a factor of two or more depending on the characteristics of the particular pandemic influenza. {EurekAlert!, 2 Jul}

TWO MORE TEST POSITIVE FOR H1N1 ON SUNDAY
Two more persons tested positive for H1N1 on Sunday.One is a four-year-old boy from Khar, who has been admitted to a private hospital and put on a dose of Tamiflu.The other is a 35-year-old man from Powai. {Times of India, 1 Jul}

PRO/AH/EDR> AVIAN INFLUENZA (41): MEXICO (JA) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
Avian Influenza — Worldwide/UnknownMexico (Prensa Latina) - Around one million birds have died or were culled at 111 poultry farms and 15 farms in Jalisco, Mexico, where the National Health and Quality Agribusiness Service (Senasica) detected in 10 such facilities the Avian H7N3 strain of avian flu. The Senasica said it issued license to import a vaccine from Asia to be distributed at the disease-hit states where the birds are being buried with due prophylaxis (quarantine, cull and vaccination) to contain the spread and get {ProMED-mail, 1 Jul}

PRO/EDR> INFLUENZA (51): USA (FL) LATE SEASON B ACTIVITY
Influenza — Worldwide/UnknownWe have a report by an astute clinician of unusual levels of influenza B in Orlando, Florida, where Tamiflu is being prescribed at high rates in outpatient clinics. Employees and visitors to Disney World, Sea World, Universal and Legoland have been reportedly admitted to a local hospital. The hospital is described as "full". We are also hearing report of concern for vaccine failure as well.Cross-check of official state public health reports for Florida indicate unusual activity for {ProMED-mail, 1 Jul}

CRITICAL TO THE CONTROL OF INFLUENZA ARE BOTH INNATE AND ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES
Both innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in controlling influenza virus infection, according to a study, published in the Open Access journal PLoS Computational Biology, by researchers from Oakland University, Michigan, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA. Influenza, as a contagious respiratory illness remains a major public health problem worldwide. Seasonal and pandemic influenza results in approximately 3 to 569 million cases of severe illness and approximately 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide... {Medical News Today, 1 Jul}

PRO/AH/EDR> AVIAN INFLUENZA (40): MEXICO (JA) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
Avian Influenza — Worldwide/Unknown {ProMED-mail, 30 Jun}

PRO/AH/EDR> INFLUENZA (50): 13TH GENE IDENTIFIED IN 1918 PANDEMIC VIRUS
Influenza — Worldwide/UnknownScientists have discovered a new gene in influenza virus that helps the virus control the body's response to infection. Although this control is exerted by the virus, surprisingly it reduces the impact of the infection. The findings will help researchers better understand how flu can cause severe infections, as well as inform research into new treatments.Just finding this gene in the first place is important, but the find is even more significant because of the role it seems to play in the {ProMED-mail, 30 Jun}

FIVE MORE H1N1 CASES TAKE TOTAL TO 58 THIS YEAR
Five more H1N1 cases were reported on Saturday taking the total to 58 in the city this year. {Indian Express, 30 Jun}