12/29 H5N1 | China confirms seventh human bird flu case

I hope this is not a dup.

China confirms seventh human bird flu case
24 minutes ago



BEIJING (Reuters) - China confirmed its seventh human infection -- and third human death -- from bird flu on Thursday, after health officials revealed a 41-year-old factory worker died from the disease over a week ago.


The victim, a woman surnamed Zhou, lived in Sanming City in eastern China's Fujian province, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

She showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on December 6 and was hospitalized two days later, Xinhua said, citing China's Ministry of Health.

Initial tests for the H5N1 virus were negative. But later tests by provincial investigators and China's national disease control center were positive.

"Zhou has been confirmed to be infected with bird flu in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization and the Chinese government," the health ministry said in its statement.

The H5N1 virus has killed more than 70 people in Asia since late 2003 and is endemic in poultry flocks across parts of the region.

While it remains largely a disease in birds, scientists fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, triggering a human pandemic that could kill millions.

China, along with Vietnam, has suffered numerous outbreaks in poultry since October and Beijing has launched sweeping measures to stop the virus spreading and infecting more people.

The latest death comes after two fatalities in Anhui province in eastern China, and also after a death in southern Hunan province WHO experts believe was probably caused by bird flu.

Xinhua did not offer any details of the dead woman's work or background, and nor did it indicate how she might have contracted the H5N1 virus.

There have been no officially confirmed outbreaks of bird flu in Sanming, where the woman apparently fell ill.

Health officials have taken steps to "check the spread of the virus" and are monitoring anybody who had close contact with Zhou. So far, no other people around her have shown "abnormal clinical symptoms," said Xinhua.

The Chinese health ministry has notified the World Health Organization, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, Xinhua said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051229/wl_nm/birdflu_china_dc

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<B><font size=+1 color=red><center>Doctors want waiver for bird flu </font>

30 December 2005
<A href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3525878a11,00.html">New Zealand News</a></center>
Doctors are calling for legal protection if a human bird-flu pandemic forces them to work in "nightmarish circumstances" in breach of the law. </b>

Under current law many general practice doctors – as employers – can be prosecuted if they breach occupational health and safety (OSH) regulations.

They can also face charges of professional misconduct if they breach the Health Consumers' Code of Rights and provide patients with less than ideal care.

But New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) chairman Ross Boswell said a bird-flu pandemic could result in severe staff shortages due to sickness and a skyrocketing number of patients, creating circumstances in which doctors would be breaching both sets of laws if they continued working.

"We need assurance given in legislation or regulation that doctors who use best endeavours in nightmarish circumstances will not later find themselves in difficulties with draconian OSH fines, with adverse Health and Disability Commissioner findings, or with disciplinary proceedings," Dr Boswell wrote in the December issue of the NZMA newsletter, Medspeak.

"Without such assurance, doctors may be unwilling to expose themselves to legal risk."

He said that situation had arisen in New Orleans this year following Hurricane Katrina, where functioning hospitals had been desperately short of staff, but staff from damaged hospitals were not able to work there because they could not get indemnity protection.

AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, Boswell said legal protection should not be hard to provide. State of emergency regulations and laws should be changed to allow the suspension of doctors' normal standards of practice and employer responsibility.

"We need to be able to do what we can for a flood of worried, ill, and possibly dying patients without fear that we may later be censured for cultural insensitivity or for failing to take the time to get full and minutely detailed informed consent for treatment or non-treatment."

Boswell said the NZMA had raised the issue with the Health Ministry.

The association would continue to push the issue until there was a satisfactory conclusion.

A spokesman for the Government's duty minister, Rick Barker, said the ministry's pandemic planning was a continuing process and the NZMA's position on various matters would be taken into account.

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<B><font size=+1 color=brown><center>One more person dies of suspected bird flu in Indonesia </font>

12/29/2005 -- 22:24(GMT+7)
<A href="http://www.vnanet.vn/NewsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=33&NEWS_ID=180915">www.vnanet.com</a></center>
Jakarta (VNA) - A man has died in the Indonesian province of Central Java after developing bird flu symptoms, local media reported on Dec. 29.</b>

If it is confirmed, the latest death would bring total number of bird flu fatalities in the country to 12.

The 48-year-old man died recently after just 10 hours under intensive treatment at a local hospital in the town of Magelang, some 500 km east of Jakarta, Antara News Agency reported.

A local health official was quoted as saying that the man suffered a high fever and respiratory problems when he was admitted to the hospital. A blood sample of the man has been sent to World Health Organisation (WHO) affiliated laboratory in Hong Kong.-Enditem

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<B><font size=+1 color=green><center>Bird flu doctors' catch-22 </font>

30.12.05
<A href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10361911">nzherald.co.nz</a></center>
Doctors are calling for legal protection if a human bird flu pandemic forces them to work in "nightmarish circumstances" in breach of the law.</b>

Under the law many general doctors - as employers - can be prosecuted if they breach occupational health and safety (OSH) regulations.

They can also face charges of professional misconduct if they breach the Health Consumers' Code of Rights and provide patients with less than ideal care.

But New Zealand Medical Association chairman Ross Boswell said a bird flu pandemic could result in severe staff shortages through sickness and a rocketing number of patients, creating circumstances in which doctors would be breaching both sets of laws if they continued working.

"We need assurance given in legislation or regulation that doctors who use best endeavours in nightmarish circumstances will not later find themselves in difficulties with draconian OSH fines, with adverse Health and Disability Commissioner findings, or with disciplinary proceedings," Dr Boswell wrote in the association's December newsletter, Medspeak.

"Without such assurance, doctors may be unwilling to expose themselves to legal risk."

He said that situation arose in New Orleans this year following Hurricane Katrina, when functioning hospitals were desperately short of staff, but staff from damaged hospitals were not able to work there because they could not get indemnity protection. However, Dr Boswell said legal protection should not be hard to provide. State of emergency regulations and laws should be changed to allow the suspension of doctors' normal standards of practice and employer responsibility.

"We need to be able to do what we can for a flood of worried, ill, and possibly dying patients without fear that we may later be censured for cultural insensitivity or for failing to take the time to get full and minutely detailed informed consent for treatment or non-treatment."

Dr Boswell said the association had raised the issue with the Health Ministry and would continue to push the issue until there was a satisfactory conclusion.

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<B><font siz=+1 color=blue><center>Vermont agency wants farms to be required to register with state</font>

December 29 2005
<A href="http://www.tullahomanews.com/news/view_article.asp?idcategory=43&idarticle=2539">Tullahoma News</a></center>
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Agency of Agriculture wants to keep closer track of all livestock in the state to be prepared in case of an outbreak of mad cow disease, avian flu or other diseases.</b>

The agency has proposed requiring that all livestock farms register with the state.

The registry is necessary ``so that if we have an outbreak of disease we can act very, very quickly,'' Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr said last week.

The new rules must first be approved by a legislative committee. If passed, they would take effect in July, officials said.

The plan is part of a national effort to eventually identify every cow, pig and chicken and store information about them in a database, officials said. The Agriculture Department is developing an animal tracking system that would allow livestock to be traced within 48 hours.

After mad cow disease was confirmed two years ago in a Washington state heifer imported from Canada, more than 450 cows had to be destroyed because it was unclear how many animals came in contact with the infected one, Kerr said.

The discovery of the disease in the U.S. cost beef producers between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion in lost exports, said state Veterinarian Dr. Kerry Rood.

The state's livestock have been relatively disease-free for nearly 20 years, officials said. Vermont eradicated tuberculosis in 1979, brucellosis in 1982 and is working to control rabies and West Nile virus.

The federal government required all states to develop a farm registry system by 2005, Kerr said.

Vermont has not yet determined what size farms will have to register, but Kerr said he is concerned about small backyard flocks.

``In my opinion, we need to make this mandatory to the backyard level,'' he said.

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<B><font size=+1 color=purple><center>Wellington islands to hold flu victims</font>

29 December 2005
By KELLY ANDREW
<A href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3524912a11,00.html">New Zealand News</a></center>
If a deadly flu virus hits the Wellington region, Somes/Matiu and Kapiti islands could become quarantine stations in a bid to stop infection spreading. </b>

Hotels, schools, marae and office buildings could also be converted into emergency field hospitals if an influenza pandemic strikes.

A draft public health pandemic plan for the Wellington and Wairarapa regions, obtained under the Official Information Act, outlines potential quarantine sites and places where sick patients could be housed and given basic medical treatment.

Because Wellington has an international airport, and many international travellers, the region could see some of New Zealand's first flu cases if a pandemic does strike.

In the early stages of an outbreak some people, including passengers on an aircraft or ship where someone falls sick, could be kept in isolation to stop them infecting others.

The draft plan, dated November 7, says the Salvation Army Training School in Upper Hutt, the Corrections Department's prison officer training school at Trentham, and Somes/Matiu Island and Kapiti Island, have been investigated as possible sites for quarantining people for up to eight days.

Somes/Matiu Island, which has been previously used to quarantine new settlers, would probably accommodate a small number of people, such as family groups, if "security or potential non-compliance issues" were identified. Kapiti Nature Lodge on Kapiti Island, which has four cabins, could also be used.

But the plan says the islands could become inaccessible in rough weather, meaning a sick, quarantined patient would not get medical help for several days.

At its peak, a pandemic would result in many seriously ill patients overwhelming local hospitals.

Options for emergency field hospitals in the Wellington and Wairarapa region include the New Zealand International Campus at Trentham – an international school with about 100 mainly Asian students and hostel accommodation for up to 500 people – large hotels with catering and laundry facilities, vacant office buildings, and marae, churches and school halls.

National MP Tony Ryall, who released the report to The Dominion Post, said while it was positive that health authorities were planning for an outbreak, gaps still existed in how to deliver medical services to people in their own homes. More work was also needed on deciding how people would be assigned to a field hospital.

"It's also important to make sure the community is involved in this pandemic planning process."

Wellington medical officer of health Margot McLean said the quarantine sites were only possibilities. A legal mandate would be needed from the Government before people could be quarantined.

Capital and Coast District Health Board emergency management leader Greg Phillips said no final decisions had been made in terms of planning.

"Really, till the bug arrives, it's a bit hard to be specific about it. We really are in the early `What if?' stages of the plan." He did not expect medical staff would refuse to work in emergency field hospitals. "I don't think reluctance to work is an issue.

"We're just trying to identify who in the whole of the health sector could help with these sort of measures and what sort of training and equipment they need."

The World Health Organisation has warned there is a high risk of the bird flu virus H5N1 – now spreading in the northern hemisphere – mutating to a virulent human influenza. This could trigger a global pandemic.

In a worst-case scenario this would mean 1.6 million people would become ill in New Zealand, with 1.3 million of them – a third of the population – sick at its peak. About 33,000 of those were likely to die.

A woman at our work is off today because her 3 year old boy has the flu.

He was taken to the emergency room because he couldn't breath. The put him on oxygen and did other stuff. He was turning grey, apparently and couldn't move.

Cough, fever, etc.

Anyhow, he is home now, but not out of the woods yet.

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<B><font size=+1 color=red><center>Health Officials Brace For California Flu And Keep Eye On Bird Flu</font>

December 28 2005
<A href="http://www.klewtv.com/x69475.xml">KLEW TV3 - Lewiston Montana</a></center>
(LEWISTON) -
North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) officials are keeping an eye on a strain of flu that is believed to have originated in California and is now spreading.</b>

The hardest hit areas besides California include Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas and Utah. With people travelling for the holiday season it could continue to spread.

"They are having large numbers of people who are developing influenza 'A' in California and Utah, and it appears that the 'A' California strain seems to be the predominate strain that they're seeing there now," said NCDHD Staff Epidemiologist, Donna Anderson.

Anderson said the "A" California strain is included in the vaccine that was made available this year.

"They made a change in this year's vaccine," she said. "Last year we saw H3N2 Fujian strain in the vaccine. In this year's we have H3N2 California strain. So, it is one of the types you are being protected against."

Anderson said right now it appears that for anyone who received the vaccine this year, there is a likelihood they will escape this particular flu strain. But she said every person does react differently to the vaccine, so there are no guarantees.

She said, so far, no "A" California strain has been reported locally.

"So far in our district we've had one report come back where it was an influenza 'B' case," said Anderson.

Anderson said people need to be smart about prevention by keeping their hands clean, not going to work sick and staying away from anyone who is sick.

Meanwhile, local health officials continue to make preparations for a possible outbreak of the Bird Flu.

Anderson said, currently, there is no vaccine on the market for the H5N1, a deadly strain of Avian Flu that has killed many of those who have contracted it.

"Of the many medications that are currently used to protect people or prevent them from getting the Bird Flu, the one that seems to have some bit of effectiveness is called Oseltamavir or Tamiflu," she said.

Anderson said the medication seems to be somewhat effective, but has only been used in a limited number of trial cases. She said it hasn't proven effective in all those cases.

"What we know about pandemic influenza is that it comes periodically every 10-30 years," Anderson said. "In the last 100 years we've had three pandemic outbreaks. One in 1918, one in 1957, and another one in 1968. We're due."

Anderson said the Avian Flu seen in Southeast Asia is not going away and that it's just a question of whether or not it will be the next pandemic flu.

She said it has prompted local health officials to get serious about planning for the future.

"The health departments have been working with community partners in planning, in preparations for pandemic flu," she said. "We've been working to identify where we would hold mass vaccination clinics if we had vaccine or if we were dispensing anti-viral medications, how would we dispense those medications quickly to the entire population within our health district."

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<B><font size=+1 color=brown><center>A new global threat</font>

December 30 2005
<A href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/30Dec2005_biz46.php">Bangkok Post Business</a></center>
In November 2005, Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat announced tighter measures to prevent human contamination from bird flu by the end of the year, including regular door-to-door checks for infected people in ''red zones'' that cover 21 provinces. He was probably being overconfident and had underestimated the disease, which leaders at the Apec meeting in Seoul feared could turn into a pandemic and severely threaten their economies, since it spread across Asia to Europe. </b>

A United Nations official noted that the cost of fighting the spread of bird flu in Southeast Asian nations may be as high as US2 million over the next two to three years, or even higher if the disease spreads to Africa.

The Thai government, in particular the Public Health and Agriculture ministries, may claim that to have effective measures in place to contain bird flu, but the general public and business leaders think otherwise, noting the disease's re-emergence on the country only a few months ago.

Bird flu hit the Thai poultry industry twice in 2004 _ in January and July _ resulting in 12 deaths from the H5N1 virus and the mass culling of more than 60 million fowl.

So far there has been one death following the latest outbreak, pushing the death toll on Thai soil to 13 so far.

The amount of poultry culled to contain the disease in 2005 was quite small _ 300,000 birds to date.

The 2004 cull resulted in a 37% decrease in the number of broilers and egg-laying chickens to 694 million birds, compared with 1,117 million birds raised the year before, while egg production dropped to 6,555 million, from 9,230 million eggs.

The bird flu's re-emergence in the last quarter of 2005 meant chicken companies lost their chance to resume their planned export of fresh chicken, and the government and some big chicken exporters shifted their hopes to cooked product exports only.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said that this shift would lead to better-value products.

To lift chicken rearing to international standards, the government planned to join forces with chicken companies to help farmers upgrade from open-air farms to closed-systems.

Three big companies _ the Betagro Group, Charoen Pokphand Foods and Saha Farms _ were asked to support the project, for which a special fund was proposed.

Betagro, which is responsible for the broiler project, said it would advise farmers to pool their money and raise broilers together at specially designed farms. A farm with capacity for 10,000 birds costs about 1.5 million baht.

Suthep Tirapipattanakul, executive vice-president of group operational development at Betagro, said it wanted new farmers to participate in the project.

Yukol Limlamthong, the director-general of the Livestock Development Department, said the changes in raising chicken would be expanded across the board to include all fowl, including indigenous chicken that are raised in people's backyards.

Yes we are getting creamed on the west coast with the flu and have been for several weeks. The strain is, in my view, a variant of the bird flu, a non lethal one. They are lying about this. I find it interesting the heavy emphasis on the bird flu not coming with the migrating birds. More lies. We have had one of the worst flu seasons in the west for decades. It hit early and hard during october and november and has not slowed down in December despite record warm temps.

As for China and its "reported deaths" this has always been a joke. The Chinese government has been lying through its teeth about bird flu, just like it lied about SARS, and the oil refinery spill, oh what is the use. MY personal opinion is thousands are dead in china and they have just lied about it.
Indonesia seems to be just mutating away right on schedule. The body count just keeps going up and up, even though we are constantly assured there is no epidemic, and not to worry.

It does look like the bird flu pandemic is taking its own sweet time going global in the lethal form. I still look for their winter, our spring and summer for things to break looose in Asia and Indonesia. They are lying about it. they are lying about it all.

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<B><font size=+1 color=brown><center>All Necessary Measures Taken Against Bird Flu Case In Igdir, Eker</font>

Published: 12/29/2005
<A href="http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=94118">www.turkishpress.com</a></center>
ISTANBUL - Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mehmet Mehdi Eker said on Thursday that everything was under control, and every necessary measure was taken pertaining to the ''bird flu'' case seen in eastern Turkish city of Igdir. </b>

Replying to a question if the bird flu cases have any relation with Manyas region where bird flu was earlier seen, Eker said, ''that place is on migration route. We have already been sensitive on the region. We guess that it may have come from the migration route coming from the Caucasus.''

Meanwhile, Igdir Governor Halil Ulusoy stated that necessary measures were taken in Aralik township in Igdir.

''Immediately after getting the tip off about death of poultry, temporary quarantine measures were put into force. 359 fowl were slaughtered as of December 19th,'' Ulusoy indicated.

''Facing the probability of fowl that are hidden from slaughter, observations continue,'' he noted.

Ulusoy said they have urged the people that domestic dogs and cats should be kept indoors, warning that stray dogs also are to be killed as a precaution.

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<B><font size=+1 color=green><center>Expert: Bad vaccines may trigger China bird flu </font>

By Tan Ee Lyn
Thu Dec 29, 5:48 AM ET
<A href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051229/sc_nm/birdflu_vaccines_dc;_ylt=A9G_Rw4SQrRDQj4BEhAPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--">news.yahpp.com</a></center>
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China is most likely using substandard poultry vaccine or not enough good vaccine, which would explain recent outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry, a prominent virologist said on Thursday.</b>

Thirty-one counties in China have reported outbreaks of the H5N1 in poultry this year, although only one county remains under isolation and there have been no new outbreaks for three weeks, according to Chinese state media.

But the fear among experts is that the virus could mutate from a disease that largely affects birds to one that can pass easily between people, leading to a human pandemic.

Dr Robert Webster, of St Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, said the problem of substandard vaccines was not exclusive to China.

"If you use a good vaccine you can prevent the transmission within poultry and to humans. But if they have been using vaccines now (in China) for several years, why is there so much bird flu?" Webster told Reuters in Hong Kong.

"There is bad vaccine that stops the disease in the bird but the bird goes on pooping out virus and maintaining it and changing it. And I think this is what is going on in China.

"It has to be. Either there is not enough vaccine being used or there is substandard vaccine being used. Probably both."

Webster praised China's ambitious plan to vaccinate all its chickens, but also called for agricultural vaccines to be standardized.

"It's not just China. We cant blame China for substandard vaccines. I think there are substandard vaccines for influenza in poultry all over the world," he added.

Since late 2003, there have been 141 confirmed human cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, all of them in Asia, including six in China. Two people have died from bird flu in China, out of 73 known fatalities in Asia.

BEAST

Webster warned against underestimating the virus, which he said has exhibited some of the worrying characteristics of the Spanish flu virus of 1918-1919, which killed an estimated 50 million people.

"If you go back to 1918, it showed that there are about 10 critical amino acids in that virus that seemed to be necessary (for the virus) to be pathogenic," Webster said.

"Many of those changes have been seen in the H5N1, but not all together. Individually, these have been out there.

"If you get all of these 10 all in together in one (H5N1) virus, to get 10 amino acids all lined up in the right order, yes the chances are very, very small that it could happen, but it could happen you see," he said.

Webster said it was not surprising that some strains of the H5N1 have been found to be resistant to Tamiflu, Roche's drug that is believed to be capable of reducing the symptoms and chances of complications caused by the virus.

"That's the nature of the beast, there is nothing special about this one. Flu viruses change every time they multiply, they make mistakes, these mutations occur naturally," he said.

It was now crucial to find the cure -- the right doses, duration of treatments and combining Tamiflu with a few other anti-viral drugs, such as amantadine and rimantadine.

"It is important to realize that the H5N1 cases in China recently are also sensitive to the old-fashioned drugs amantadine and rimantadine. So we need to be thinking more about combinations of these drugs, combinations of amantadine, rimantadine and Tamiflu," Webster said.

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<B><font size=+1 color=blue><center>Flu Outbreak Jams California Emergency Rooms </font>

December 29, 2005
<A href="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/flu_ca.html">consumeraffairs.com</a></center>
Emergency rooms and doctors' offices throughout California are jammed by victims of a sudden surge in influenza cases. This "California Flu" epidemic has nothing to do with the "bird flu;" it is a regional outbreak of the yearly flu onslaughts that sweep the country.</b>

"This human flu now invading California and contiguous states is part of the annual flu season and is not a harbinger of pandemics yet to come," said Gilbert Ross, M.D., Executive and Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health.

The best way to avoid coming down with the annual flu is to get a flu shot. Although it takes a few weeks for the vaccine to become effective, that may be enough time for most Americans, depending on how fast the California outbreak spreads.

The vaccine is not foolproof. Some individuals, especially seniors, do not make protective antibodies to the flu virus, even after a shot.

Ross said that while the bird flu is a theoretical threat, the annual flu is very real.

"The yearly flu epidemics kill up to 40,000 Americans. The 'bird flu' has killed about 70 people. No Americans have died of bird flu," Ross noted. "We should get more upset about this real threat and not pay so much attention to that somewhat over-hyped one, for now."

Ross noted that Tamiflu, the most effective antiviral drug, is in short supply this year, thanks to hoaring by those fearing a bird flu outbreak.

"Some people may actually die for want of this drug, which works well within the first 48 hours of flu infection," he said. "There is another effective drug, the inhaled Relenza, which may be available in sufficient quantities to help right here in the U.S. for this flu season."

Ross and other medical authorities noted that it's important to immunize children, as a means of protecting older Americans.

"Children also get the flu -- indeed, they are the main reservoir of influenza virus, and they generally don't get very sick from it. But, they do transmit it to their grandparents, who do get quite ill, and sometimes even die," he said.

The parents of all toddlers are advised by the CDC to get their youngsters vaccinated against the flu.

"I believe vaccinating all schoolchildren as well would help to reduce the toll among the elderly, and this should be considered as an added indication by vaccine specialists at the CDC," Ross said.

Not much difference between a diagnosis of viral pneunomia and bird flu. If you're old and die in a nursing home they will call it pneumonia. My Bil has pneumonia and strep at the moment but he's immunocompromised. He's on antibiotics at home which makes sense because otherwise he'd be in isolation.

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<B><font size=+1 color=purple><center>Flu Roundup: Poor standards to blame for H5N1 outbreaks</font>

By Kate Walker Dec 29, 2005, 21:50 GMT
<A href="http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/article_1072247.php/Flu_Roundup_Poor_standards_to_blame_for_H5N1_outbreaks">monstersandcritics.com</a></center>
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- China`s numerous outbreaks of avian influenza among poultry may have been caused by the widespread use of ineffective vaccines, it was reported Thursday.</b>

Dr. Robert Webster, a prominent virologist from St. Jude`s Children`s Hospital in Tennessee, said, 'If you use a good vaccine you can prevent the transmission within poultry and to humans. But if they have been using vaccines now (in China) for several years, why is there so much bird flu?

'There is bad vaccine that stops the disease in the bird but the bird goes on pooping out virus and maintaining it and changing it. And I think this is what is going on in China.

'It has to be. Either there is not enough vaccine being used or there is substandard vaccine being used. Probably both.'

Webster praised China`s plans to vaccinate all its poultry but said that the lesson to be learned from the 31 Chinese counties to have reported outbreaks amongst poultry this year is that there needs to be an international standard for agricultural vaccines.

'It`s not just China. We can`t blame China for substandard vaccines. I think there are substandard vaccines for influenza in poultry all over the world.'

Meanwhile:

-- China Thursday confirmed its seventh death from avian influenza.

The victim, who died Dec. 21, was a 41-year-old factory worker from Fujian province. It is not yet known how she contracted the disease.

-- A man has died in the central Indonesian province of Java.

Although tests have not yet confirmed the involvement of avian influenza in his death, the 48-year-old was hospitalized with a high fever and signs of respiratory infection. He died 10 hours after having been admitted to hospital in Magelang, 300 miles east of Jakarta.

If the World Health Organization`s tests confirm H5N1 as the cause of death, it will be Indonesia`s 12th avian-influenza fatality.

-- Vietnamese scientists will begin trialing a new treatment protocol for avian influenza in the new year, following reports that as many as four people died from avian flu despite having been treated with Tamiflu.

Peter Hobby, of the World Health Organization, was quoted by the Vietnamese newspaper Youth as recommending that Vietnam should research and trial a new system under which patients were given higher doses of Tamiflu for a longer period of time.

Flu resistance to anti-viral treatment is entirely normal, and not specific to Tamiflu.

Current research indicates that Tamiflu is most effective as a treatment for patients in the early stages of avian-influenza infection. The majority of Vietnam`s avian-flu fatalities are linked to late diagnoses and delayed treatment.

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<B><font size=+1 color=red><center>H5N1 Fatality in Fujian Province</font>

<A href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12290501/H5N1_Fujian_1.html">Recombinomics Commentary</a>
December 29, 2005</center>
The woman, a factory worker in Sanming, a city in coastal Fujian province, fell ill on Dec. 6 and died on Dec. 21, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Health Ministry. It said lab tests confirmed her infection according to World Health Organization standards.</b>

The above comments describing a fatal H5N1 infection in Fujian Province raise a number of concerns regarding the number of human H5N1 cases in China. Like the last human case, in Jianxi, China, the patient is in an area that has not reported H5N1 activity this year. Moreover, the reports on this case give no indication of how a factory worker would have been exposed to H5N1 poultry. The confirmed case also adds yet a another province in China where there has been an H5N1 confirmed case.

However, it is unlikely that this is the first H5N1 human case in Fujian Province. In the beginning of 2003 a Hong Kong family visited Fujian Province. The daughter died in Fujian Province with bird flu symptoms and her father and brother returned to Hong Kong. The Z+ genotype of H5N1 was isolated from each (A/Hong Kong/212/03(H5N1), A/Hong Kong/213/03(H5N1)) and the father died. The recovered H5N1 had the S227N polymorphisms associated with increased binding of the human receptor found on cells of the upper respiratory tract, raising concerns of more efficient human-to-human transmission. Since the latest case has no announced link to poultry, human-to-human transmission remains a concern.

This concern is enhanced by data from Hunan Province where a confirmed and suspected H5N1 cases were reported. Although H5N1 was not isolated directly from the patients, H5N1 from a family chicken was related to H5N1 from Fujian Province.

Considerable evidence exists for H5N1 in Fujian Province. This year a ProMed report detailed geese dying in Fujian Province. Although the birds were not tested for H5N1, the clinical symptoms, including falling over and a twisted neck, matched symptoms of H5N1 infections. Replacement of stocks with birds from nearby provinces produced the same outcome, suggesting H5N1 was widespread in the Fujian Province region..

The publication of H5N1 in Qinghai Lake bar headed geese also contained H5N1 sequences from Fujian (A/Duck/Fujian/1734/05(H5N1)), Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangdong Provinces, indication H5N1 is circulating in these provinces this year. Although there had been no OIE reports at that time and there still have been no reports for any of these provinces except Hunan.

The above data suggest H5N1 is widespread in China in birds and probably humans. Human cases have now been reported for Anhui, Hunan, Guangxi, Liaoning, Jianxi, and Fujian Provinces, suggesting many versions of H5N1 in China can cause human infections and the number of such infections

In addition, sequence analysis links polymorphisms in 1997 Hong Kong outbreak, the cases linked to Fujian Province in 2003, tree sparrow sequences in Henan, poultry sequences in Hubei, and wild bird sequences from Qinghai Lake (China), Chany Lake (Russia), and Erhel Lake (Mongolia) demonstrating recombination and evolution of H5N1 strains lethal to birds and humans.

Sequences on the isolates from birds and humans would be useful in mapping the evolution of H5N1 in China in 2005.

north runner said:

Not much difference between a diagnosis of viral pneunomia and bird flu. If you're old and die in a nursing home they will call it pneumonia. My Bil has pneumonia and strep at the moment but he's immunocompromised. He's on antibiotics at home which makes sense because otherwise he'd be in isolation.

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To say there is not much difference 'twixt a viral pneumonia and H5N1 is incorrect, dangerously so. Viral pneumonias have been with us for a long time. H5N1 has not. A diagnosis of H5N1 (so-called bird flu) would mean the virus has yet another chance to mutate, has popped up in yet another place. Isolation measures far more stringent than would be followed in caring for a viral pneumonia would be necessary. Isolation of anyone who had come in contact with the victim of H5N1 would be necessary. A diagnosis in this country of H5N1 would be a huge red flag up a pole, and for me the triggering event for immediate self-quarantine of the family. I hardly think hearing someone has a viral pneumonia will trigger such a reaction in anyone.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China confirmed its seventh human infection -- and third human death -- from bird flu on Thursday, after health officials revealed a 41-year-old factory worker died from the disease over a week ago.

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I wonder what she made in the factory?

I hope I didn't buy anything she made in that Chinese factory for my relatives this Christmas!


tsk, tsk...

Doomer Doug said:

Yes we are getting creamed on the west coast with the flu and have been for several weeks. The strain is, in my view, a variant of the bird flu, a non lethal one. They are lying about this. I find it interesting the heavy emphasis on the bird flu not coming with the migrating birds. More lies. We have had one of the worst flu seasons in the west for decades. It hit early and hard during october and november and has not slowed down in December despite record warm temps.

As for China and its "reported deaths" this has always been a joke. The Chinese government has been lying through its teeth about bird flu, just like it lied about SARS, and the oil refinery spill, oh what is the use. MY personal opinion is thousands are dead in china and they have just lied about it.
Indonesia seems to be just mutating away right on schedule. The body count just keeps going up and up, even though we are constantly assured there is no epidemic, and not to worry.

It does look like the bird flu pandemic is taking its own sweet time going global in the lethal form. I still look for their winter, our spring and summer for things to break looose in Asia and Indonesia. They are lying about it. they are lying about it all.

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I agree with you 100%.

I guess I would be more worried about this if there was anything I could do. I have turmeric and am getting the elderberry tincture tomorrow. If/when it hits, will just stay at home.

But all this stuff with a quarantine and all that I don't think will end up doing much more than prolonging the inevitable for the most part. Not that I will be going to cities where it is in full swing, but I don't think that 100% quarantines are possible, so they will be mostly ineffective.

I think there is no way in hell that China is telling the truth about the number of people they have sick.

I do have things I am more concerned about right now, so this one is on the back burner for me..maybe becase I am very fatalistic about this. My physical health is not the best, and my immune system sucks..been told that is often the case for people who have had to have chemo in the past. In any case, even before then I would get bronchitis frequently, but afterwards, have had pneumonia a few times, whereas before hand had only had it twice in my life.

I am pretty sure that when the next pandemic strikes, I'm a goner anyways, which is I guess why it doesn't worry me..the things I can actually do something about..or that could wipe out the entire planet is what concerns me more right now.

Doomer Doug said:

Yes we are getting creamed on the west coast with the flu and have been for several weeks. The strain is, in my view, a variant of the bird flu, a non lethal one. They are lying about this. I find it interesting the heavy emphasis on the bird flu not coming with the migrating birds. More lies. We have had one of the worst flu seasons in the west for decades. It hit early and hard during october and november and has not slowed down in December despite record warm temps.

As for China and its "reported deaths" this has always been a joke. The Chinese government has been lying through its teeth about bird flu, just like it lied about SARS, and the oil refinery spill, oh what is the use. MY personal opinion is thousands are dead in china and they have just lied about it.
Indonesia seems to be just mutating away right on schedule. The body count just keeps going up and up, even though we are constantly assured there is no epidemic, and not to worry.

It does look like the bird flu pandemic is taking its own sweet time going global in the lethal form. I still look for their winter, our spring and summer for things to break looose in Asia and Indonesia. They are lying about it. they are lying about it all.

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Got any proof to back up those assertions, Doug?
Jack