06/17-18 | Weekend BF: Domestic Goose dies of Bird Flu; PEI Canada

Link to yesterday's thread: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=200501

Here is an important link...
Johns Hopkins on influenza: http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/33/450/Rashid Chotani.pdf

H5 avian flu virus found in domestic goose in PEI; further testing needed​

Helen Branswell
Canadian Press

Friday, June 16, 2006

(CP) - A domestic goose that died in western Prince Edward Island this week tested positive for an H5 avian influenza virus, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed Friday.

Samples are being sent to the CFIA's National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg so that confirmatory tests can be run and the neuraminidase (the N in a flu virus's name) can be determined.

Results of those tests aren't expected until Monday or Tuesday at the earliest, said Dr. Jim Clark, the CFIA's director of animal health. But Clark said there are already clues this avian flu virus isn't likely the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus that has decimated chicken flocks in parts of Asia.

That's because the goose was part of a small, free-range flock of chickens, geese and ducks. And while four of 11 geese in the flock died, none of the chickens fell ill.

"If this is a highly pathogenic virus - or it was - then it should have been causing some difficulty for the chickens," Clark said in an interview from Ottawa.

"So we're relatively confident that the virus has low pathogenicity. But we won't be able to say that definitely until the lab in Winnipeg finishes analyzing the samples."

Clark said there's actually no evidence at this point that avian flu played a role in the death of the geese.

"Just because these birds have died, we mustn't jump to the conclusion it was an influenza virus that killed them," he cautioned.

A post-mortem examination of the bird will be done to determine the cause of death. The other birds in the flock - killed as a precautionary measure - will also be examined for presence of the virus.

A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada said at the request of provincial authorities, the agency is sending three epidemiologists to Prince Edward Island to help in the investigation and to help monitor the health of people who came in contact with the flock.

"Based on the information that we have at this point in time . . . there is no new threat to human health," said Aggie Adamczyk.

"But while we wait for the results of further testing . . . precautions are being taken to protect the health of those who have been in close contact with birds."

Dr. Lamont Sweet, P.E.I.'s chief medical officer, said people in the vicinity will be monitored for flu-like symptoms or eye infections.

Although H5N1 causes severe infection and often death in humans, most avian flu viruses induce no human disease or at worst conjunctivitis.

The owner of the birds, who was raising them for personal consumption, told authorities he noticed four of his geese were "walking funny" on Sunday.

"Monday morning, he came out (and) the four birds that were walking funny were dead," Clark said.

The man disposed of three but took one for testing to the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown. The laboratory there confirmed the presence of an H5 virus.

Further testing will reveal the nature of the virus. But an avian influenza expert agreed the fact the chickens in this flock didn't fall ill suggests it probably isn't a highly pathogenic H5 virus.

"It certainly doesn't sound like the Asian H5N1," said Dr. Ted Leighton, executive director of the Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Health Centre.

H5 and H7 avian flu viruses come in two forms - highly pathogenic and low pathogenicity or high and low path for short. The former is deadly to domestic chickens while the latter typically leads to a drop off in egg production.

"There's no such thing as zero probability on these things. But there's a lot of other reasons why a bunch of geese might die," Leighton said.

The geese were purchased about six weeks ago from a local co-operative. Clark said a trace-back is underway to see where the birds came from. "We're very interested in the source of the birds.

"(But) having said that, six weeks ago is too long for the birds to incubate the virus," he said, suggesting it is more likely the geese picked up the virus after coming in contact with wild birds.

A wild bird surveillance program conducted in Canada last fall found a number of birds carrying low path H5 viruses. Analysis of the genetic blueprints of the viruses showed none were of the Asian H5N1 lineage and posed little or no threat to human health.

The CFIA is not putting movement restrictions in place in the area, noting there are no large commercial poultry operations within a 10-kilometre radius and few small poultry holdings nearby.

International codes require countries to notify the World Organization for Animal Health - known as the OIE - when they discover H5 and H7 viruses in birds. If the Winnipeg lab confirms the H5 finding, the CFIA will notify the Paris-based agency as well as trading partners, Clark said.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=0702e603-da26-4241-a93b-db38f9cc5385&k=41690

Further stories on the 'Canadian' Goose:

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1903118

H5 Bird Flu Confirmed in Sick Gosling on PEI Canada Post 69

and

H5 Positive Geese in Canada Had Fatal Qinghai Symptoms Post 70

Thanks JPD,

Qinghai H5N1 Bird Flu Sequences in Bali Indonesia​

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/06170601/H5N1_Bali_Qinghai.html

Recombinomics Commentary
June 17, 2006

Five avian HA sequences from Bali Indonesia (see below) have become available at GenBank. The partial sequences include the HA cleavage site and four of the five isolates have the common cleavage site for Asian H5N1, RERRRKKR. However, A/duck/Badung-Bali/05/2005 has the Qinghai HA cleavage site, GERRRKKR. This cleavage site is almost exclusively found in Qinghai isolates (see list below) and represent the third distinct cleavage site in H5N1 from Indonesia. Human isolates in Western Java have the novel cleavage site RESRRKKR, which has not been identifiued in any reported H5N1 isolate.

In addition, the Bali isolate above has another polymorphism chared with Qinghai isolates as well A/chicken/Denpasar/01/04. This isolate has a third polymorphism shared with other Qinghai isolates.

Although these Bali bird flu isolates have Qinhai polymorphisms, their genetic backbone is clearly Indonesian. All five Bali isolates are most closely related to other Indonesian isolates. Thus, these isolates have acquired Qinghai sequence via recombination which punctuates an Indonesian sequences.

The acquisition of these sequences signal dual infection between Indonesian isolates and Qinghai isolates. All Qinghai isolates reported to date have PB2 E627K, which has also been identified in the second human isolate, A/Indonesia/6/2005, isolate and is suspected in the Medan cluster. The sole surving member of thet 8 person cluster has developed neurological complications, which are also associated with E627K.

The Qinghai sequences, iclusing the HA cleavage site highlight the complexity of H5N1 in Indonesia and again emphasize the need for the release of the sequences sequestered at the WHO private database.

The acquisition of the Qinghai sequences, including the HA cleavage site, which has been acquired on an Indonesian genetic background, signal active evolution via recombination, which is cause for concern.

WHO affiliated researchers have ignored the role of recombination in H5N1 evolution, and the sequestered sequences should be made public for in depth analysis.


New isolates:

A/duck/Badung-Bali/05/2005
A/duck/Buleleng-Bali/04/2005
A/duck/Jembrana-Bali/03/2005
A/chicken/Denpasar/02/2005
A/chicken/Denpasar/01/2004


Matching sequences in HA cleavage site

DQ661910 A/chicken/Afghanistan/1207/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ447199 A/chicken/Egypt/960N3-004/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ676834 A/chicken/Krasnodar/01/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ676830 A/chicken/Mahachkala/05/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ406728 A/chicken/Nigeria/641/2006 2006 H5N1
AM231714 A/common pochard/France/06167/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ515984 A/Cygnus olor/Czech Republic/5170/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ435200 A/domestic cat/Iraq/820/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ435201 A/domestic goose/Iraq/812/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ659113 A/duck/Niger/914/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ464377 A/Egypt/2782-NAMRU3/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ435202 A/Iraq/207-NAMRU3/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ458992 A/mallard/Bavaria/1/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ449031 A/mallard/Italy/332/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ440535 A/swan/Iran/754/2006 2006 H5N1
DQ412997 A/swan/Italy/179/06 2006 H5N1
ISDN136919 A/swan/Italy/179/2006 2006 H5N1
AM236074 A/turkey/France/06222/2006 2006 H5N1
AB233319 A/bar-headed goose/Mongolia/1/05 2005 H5N1
DQ137873 A/bar-headed goose/Qinghai/0510/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095621 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/12/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095617 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/5/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095612 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/59/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095615 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/60/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095618 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/61/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095620 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/62/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095622 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/65/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095623 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/67/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095613 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/68/05 2005 H5N1
DQ095619 A/Bar-headed Goose/Qinghai/75/05 2005 H5N1
DQ100554 A/black-headed goose/Qinghai/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ100555 A/black-headed goose/Qinghai/2/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ100556 A/black-headed gull/Qinghai/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ095616 A/Brown-headed Gull/Qinghai/3/05 2005 H5N1
DQ340848 A/chicken/Crimea/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ676838 A/chicken/Dovolnoe/03/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ449632 A/chicken/Kurgan/05/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ323672 A/chicken/Kurgan/3/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ190859 A/chicken/Novosibirsk/64/05 2005 H5N1
DQ190860 A/chicken/Novosibirsk/65/05 2005 H5N1
DQ190861 A/chicken/Novosibirsk/66/05 2005 H5N1
DQ231242 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-11/05 2005 H5N1
DQ231241 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-12/05 2005 H5N1
DQ279301 A/chicken/Tula/10/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ389158 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ434889 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-10/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ343502 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-2/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ358746 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-3/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ363918 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-4/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ365004 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-5/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ364996 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-6/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ363923 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-7/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ399540 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-8/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ399547 A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-9/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ644959 A/duck/Badung-Bali/05/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ449640 A/duck/Kurgan/08/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ190858 A/duck/Novosibirsk/56/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ230522 A/duck/Novosibirsk/56/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320922 A/Environment/Qinghai/31/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ676840 A/goose/Krasnoozerka/627/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ212792 A/goose/Novosibirsk/4/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ100557 A/great black-headed gull/Qinghai/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ095614 A/Great Black-headed Gull/Qinghai/2/05 2005 H5N1
DQ230521 A/grebe/Novosibirsk/29/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ190857 A/grebe/Novosibirsk/29/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320919 A/migratory duck/Jiangxi/2136/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320920 A/migratory duck/Jiangxi/2295/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320921 A/migratory duck/Jiangxi/2300/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ453141 A/mute swan/Croatia/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ320137 A/swan/Astrakhan/1/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ231240 A/turkey/Suzdalka/Nov-01/05 2005 H5N1
DQ407519 A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005 2005 H5N1
AB233320 A/whooper swan/Mongolia/3/05 2005 H5N1
AB233321 A/whooper swan/Mongolia/4/05 2005 H5N1
AB233322 A/whooper swan/Mongolia/6/05 2005 H5N1
ISDN48972 A/Chicken/Hu bei/14/2004 2004 H5N1
AY830774 A/chicken/Macheng/2004 2004 H5N1


One of the Qinghai polymorphims

DQ231242 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-11/05 2005 H5N1
DQ231241 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-12/05 2005 H5N1
DQ644959 A/duck/Badung-Bali/05/2005 2005 H5N1
DQ231240 A/turkey/Suzdalka/Nov-01/05 2005 H5N1
DQ407519 A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005 2005 H5N1
AB212649 A/blow fly/Kyoto/93/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ644955 A/chicken/Denpasar/01/2004 2004 H5N1
AY609312 A/chicken/Guangdong/174/04 2004 H5N1
DQ320893 A/chicken/Guangxi/2439/2004 2004 H5N1
AB188824 A/chicken/Kyoto/3/2004 2004 H5N1
AB188816 A/chicken/Oita/8/2004 2004 H5N1
ISDN49016 A/Chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 2004 H5N1
AB166862 A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 2004 H5N1
AB189053 A/crow/Kyoto/53/2004 2004 H5N1
AB189061 A/crow/Osaka/102/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320883 A/duck/Guangxi/1311/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320885 A/duck/Guangxi/1586/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320886 A/duck/Guangxi/1681/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320890 A/duck/Guangxi/2291/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320892 A/duck/Guangxi/2396/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320879 A/duck/Guangxi/668/2004 2004 H5N1
AY639405 A/goose/China/F3/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320881 A/goose/Guangxi/1097/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320882 A/goose/Guangxi/1198/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320888 A/goose/Guangxi/1832/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320889 A/goose/Guangxi/2112/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320891 A/goose/Guangxi/2383/2004 2004 H5N1
AY676035 A/chicken/Korea/ES/03 2003 H5N1
ISDN40921 A/Chicken/Korea/es/2003 2003 H5N1
AY651368 A/Ck/ST/4231/2003 2003 H5N1
AY676036 A/duck/Korea/ESD1/03 2003 H5N1


Third polymorphism

DQ231242 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-11/05 2005 H5N1
DQ231241 A/chicken/Suzdalka/Nov-12/05 2005 H5N1
DQ231240 A/turkey/Suzdalka/Nov-01/05 2005 H5N1
AB212649 A/blow fly/Kyoto/93/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ644955 A/chicken/Denpasar/01/2004 2004 H5N1
AY609312 A/chicken/Guangdong/174/04 2004 H5N1
DQ320893 A/chicken/Guangxi/2439/2004 2004 H5N1
AB188824 A/chicken/Kyoto/3/2004 2004 H5N1
AB188816 A/chicken/Oita/8/2004 2004 H5N1
ISDN49016 A/Chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 2004 H5N1
AB166862 A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 2004 H5N1
AB189053 A/crow/Kyoto/53/2004 2004 H5N1
AB189061 A/crow/Osaka/102/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320883 A/duck/Guangxi/1311/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320885 A/duck/Guangxi/1586/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320886 A/duck/Guangxi/1681/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320890 A/duck/Guangxi/2291/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320892 A/duck/Guangxi/2396/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320879 A/duck/Guangxi/668/2004 2004 H5N1
AY639405 A/goose/China/F3/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320881 A/goose/Guangxi/1097/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320882 A/goose/Guangxi/1198/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320888 A/goose/Guangxi/1832/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320889 A/goose/Guangxi/2112/2004 2004 H5N1
DQ320891 A/goose/Guangxi/2383/2004 2004 H5N1
AY676035 A/chicken/Korea/ES/03 2003 H5N1
ISDN40921 A/Chicken/Korea/es/2003 2003 H5N1
AY651368 A/Ck/ST/4231/2003 2003 H5N1
AY676036 A/duck/Korea/ESD1/03 2003 H5N1

H5N1 virus may have mutated: expert​

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-06/17/content_4709908.htm

www.chinaview.cn 2006-06-17 10:35:21

BEIJING, June 17 -- The latest human bird flu infection on the Chinese mainland is worrying as it shows the H5N1 virus may have mutated and become as infectious in warm months as in cooler ones, Hong Kong's health chief said on Friday.

The virus thrives in lower temperatures and is usually most infectious in the cooler months between October and March.

But confirmation on Thursday that a 31-year-old truck driver in the southern city of Shenzhen has been infected has caused uneasiness.

"Is this because the virus has changed, so that it is highly infectious all year round? Or, if it is happening in summer, winter would be even worse?" said the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, York Chow.

He said the virus might have become "more virulent and spread wider than we've expected," though its mutation was not confirmed.

"If that is the case, the risk for humans to be infected in the future is higher," he added.

The truck driver was admitted to hospital and was critically ill on Friday. He had visited a market where live poultry was sold and eaten chicken before he fell ill. But he is not known to have had any other close contact with poultry.

University of Hong Kong microbiology head Yuen Kwok-yung said the Shenzhen case was abnormal and worried the disease would spread in winter.

"If there are human infections from June to August, it means the virus is extremely active. I am worried that a major outbreak will happen in winter," he said.

In neighbouring Shenzhen, authorities have stepped up virus prevention and surveillance efforts.

The local government said it will now report the situation relating to human bird flu cases every day.

The Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has been asked to enhance its surveillance of any pneumonia-like cases.

So far the city has not reported any poultry infections.

But vendors said they are required to disinfect shelves twice a day and stop on-the-spot slaughtering. Some supermarkets have stopped selling live chickens.

"Business is really bad. I didn't even sell one chicken today," said a vendor at a Xiangmei Road market.

(Source: China Daily)

WHO completes bird flu study in Karo​

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20060617.G02&irec=2

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has completed a one-month bird flu investigation in Karo regency, North Sumatra but declined to reveal any results as suspected bird flu cases have continued to emerge.

Senior health official I Nyoman Kandun said Friday that a local test showed that a 14-year-old boy who was admitted to a South Jakarta hospital Wednesday and died on the same day, had died of bird flu.

Samples from the boy have been sent to a WHO-accredited laboratory in Hong Kong for confirmation, he told AFP, adding that people who had had contact with the victim were being monitored for signs of infection.

A Tempo magazine journalist in Tasikmalaya, West Java with bird flu symptoms has also been hospitalized. According to tempointeraktif.com, the journalist was referred to Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung for treatment Wednesday.

The suspect reportedly experienced a high fever Sunday, several days after a cull in the area around the house of a person who had died of bird flu in Tasikmalaya. According to chief of the hospital's isolation room, Adang Rasmita, the suspect has shown improvement but is being monitored closely.

The WHO has confirmed 38 deaths from bird flu in the country, making it the country with the second highest number of victims after Vietnam, which has reported 42 deaths -- none of which occurred this year -- and the highest number this year. More than 120 people have died of bird flu around the world since late 2003, the vast majority of them in Asia.

WHO Press Officer, Sari P. Setiogi, said by phone Friday the organization had stopped its investigation in Karo last week but the decision was not made due to Karo residents' objection to their presence.

"The threats from the Karo residents have nothing to do with the WHO team's investigation. The investigation was completed last week so the team had to leave Karo," she said.

She said during the investigation by the six-member team in Kubu Simbelang village, they had not been intimidated or received any threats.

When asked about the results, Sari declined to comment, saying the WHO has submitted the result to the Health Ministry which is authorized to issue such a statement.

Dozens of residents grouped under the Karo People's Coalition staged a protest Wednesday at the North Sumatra governor's office, demanding that the governor ask the WHO team to leave the area within three days. They were threatening to personally tell the team to leave Karo if the government took no action by Friday.

This was not the first time the village made media headlines since seven people from one family there were confirmed to have contracted the virus. The first person in the family to die, a woman in her late 30s, is also believed to have had bird flu although she was buried before tests could be carried out.

Scientists fear that the family's case may represent what is known as tertiary transmission, where someone may have been infected by a chicken and infected a relative, who infected others within the group.

Deadly bird flu virus confirmed in large Hungarian poultry farm​

http://www.terra.net.lb/wp/Articles/DesktopArticle.aspx?ArticleID=291036&ChannelId=19

June 17, 2006

The deadly H5N1 bird flu strain has been confirmed for the first time in a large poultry rearing region of Hungary by a European Union laboratory, veterinary officials said here Friday.

The H5 virus, which is not highly pathogenic, had been detected by Hungarian authorities in the southeastern region of Kiskunmajsa on June 9.

But the EU's reference laboratory in Weybridge, outside London, confirmed on Friday that the virus affecting geese and ducks belonged to the H5N1 strain, Hungary's chief veterinarian Miklos Suth said.

Some 2,300 poultry have died at the poultry farm in Kiskunmajsa where H5N1 has been detected since last week.

About 500,000 other poultry have been slaughtered as a precautionary measure within a one-kilometre radius around Kiskunmajsa.

Some four million of the 40 million poultry reared in Hungary in total are bred within a 40-kilometre radius of Kiskunmajsa.

Maine begins testing wild birds for avian flu​

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA...RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRDFLU-MAINE.xml&archived=False

By Jason Szep

BOSTON (Reuters) - Maine, the closest U.S. state to migration routes for birds coming from Europe, has begun testing for avian flu as the United States steps up preparations for its possible spread to North America.

Maine has modeled its plan after Alaska, where many expect the first U.S. case of bird flu to be detected, Mark Stadler, director of the wildlife division of Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told Reuters in an interview.

Stadler said wildlife biologists have started testing Arctic terns, common eiders and pigeon-sized black guillemots in the state's rugged and remote eastern islands, and that they soon plan to test Canada geese, ducks, loons and other birds.

"The testing will spread southward across the state over the summer," he said.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 125 people worldwide since reappearing in 2003. Scientists fear it could evolve into a virus which can pass easily from person to person, triggering a pandemic that could kill millions.

Although the virus has not been found in North America, the Bush administration and a senior U.N. official have said it could reach the United States this year after spreading across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Some wildlife authorities say the virus was likely to be carried either to the east or west coast of the United States by migrating birds starting their journeys south, either from Alaska on the Pacific Flyway, or the Atlantic Flyway on the other side of North American continent.

Maine and Alaska are two major crossroads being monitored.

Federal and local agencies aim to test 50,000 samples of waste from wild birds this year to test for the H5N1 strain of bird flu. Officials also want another 75,000 to 100,000 samples of bird waste directly from live or dead animals.

Donald Hoenig, Maine's state veterinarian, has estimated the virus could show up in Maine as soon as the late summer.

Maine's Center for Disease Control has also opened a hotline for residents to report dead birds and officials fear that an infection could spread to the state's poultry industry.

With four million domestic birds, Maine is the nation's leading producer of brown eggs, according to Hoenig. In 2004, Maine's brown eggs generated $61 million in sales.

New England officials have also discussed possible region-wide contingency plans if the virus spreads to humans.

Local test confirms another death of bird flu in Indonesia​

http://english.people.com.cn/200606/17/eng20060617_275012.html

Local laboratory examination has showed another Indonesian, a 14-year-old boy, died of bird flu, a health official said on Saturday.

"The local test shows he is positively infected," Nyoman Kandun, director of the Animal Disease and Health Control Department under the Health Ministry, told Xinhua.

The victim's blood samples had been sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) affiliated laboratory in Hong Kong for further test, said the director.

The boy, who died on Wednesday in a hospital in the capital, once had contact with dead chickens, he said.

According to the WHO, 39 out of 52 contracted people have died in Indonesia, Kandun said.

Experts feared that the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus could mutate in a certain form that could transmit from human to human and kill millions of people.

The avian influenza has killed at least 128 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry farms in late 2003.

Source: Xinhua

UPDATED: 19:32, June 17, 2006

WHO completes bird flu study on biggest cluster death in Indonesia​

he World Health Organization (WHO) had completed a month-long investigation of Indonesia's biggest cluster death of bird flu in Karo regency, North Sumatra, but declined to reveal any results, local media reported here on Saturday.

WHO Spokesperson Sari P. Setiogi said that the organization had ended its investigation of the death of seven blood-linked people in Karo last week but the conclusion was not publicized due to Karo residents' objection.

"The threats from the Karo residents have nothing to do with the WHO team's investigation. The investigation was completed last week so the team had to leave Karo," she was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post.

When asked about the results, she declined to comment, saying the WHO had submitted the results to the Indonesian Health Ministry which was authorized to issue such a statement.

Dozens of residents staged a protest on Wednesday at the North Sumatra governor's office, demanding that the governor should ask the WHO team to leave the area within three days. They were threatening to personally tell the team to leave Karo if the government took no action by Friday.

This was not the first time that the village made media headlines since seven people from one family there were confirmed to die of the virus.

The first person in the family to die, a woman in her late 30s, was also believed to have had bird flu. She was buried before tests could be carried out.

Scientists feared that the family's case may represent what was known as tertiary transmission, where someone may have been infected by a chicken and later infected a relative, who then infected others within the group.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/17/eng20060617_275007.html

New China case suggests H5N1 now more infectious-HK​

REUTERS

7:06 a.m. June 16, 2006

HONG KONG – China's latest human bird flu infection is worrying as it indicates that the H5N1 virus may have mutated and become as infectious in warm months as it is in cooler ones, Hong Kong's health minister said on Friday.

The H5N1 virus thrives in lower temperatures and is more infectious in the cooler months between October and March in the northern hemisphere.

But China's confirmation on Thursday that a 31-year-old truck driver in the southern city of Shenzhen had been infected by the disease has brought uneasiness.

'Is this because the virus has changed, so that it can be highly infectious all year round? Or, if it is happening in summer, winter would be even worse?' Health Secretary York Chow told reporters. 'We will have to monitor further.

'We have a suspicion, but we have not confirmed it yet, that the virus might have become more virulent and more widespread than we have expected. If that is the case, the risk for humans to be infected in future is higher.'

The truck driver was admitted to hospital and is critically ill. He visited a wet market where live poultry was sold and ate a chicken before he fell ill, but he is not known to have had any other close contact with poultry.

He is the 19th person in China to be infected, 12 of whom have died. But, like most of the other cases, it is a mystery how he came to be infected because there was no known outbreak of the disease in poultry in the area where he lived.

The official Xinhua news agency said on Friday that the government has not found the disease in Shenzhen poultry farms.

Experts in Hong Kong, including Chow, have highlighted the possibility that the human infections in China may have been due to contact with infected poultry which were not taken ill by the disease, which are described as 'asymptomatic'.

A recent study of faecal samples taken from healthy poultry in markets found that one percent were infected with the virus.

Lo Wing-lok, an infectious disease expert in Hong Kong, said China must explain how the truck driver came to be infected when it claimed there were no H5N1 outbreaks in birds in the area.

'They ought to come up with a reasonable explanation how this man came to be infected. Blanket denials don't help at all. When they deny we have to think twice about accepting,' Lo said.

He recalled an incident in late January when a chicken that was smuggled into Hong Kong from Shenzhen was found with H5N1.

'It took only one tiny bird to show that the virus is there (in Shenzhen),' Lo said, adding that China should disclose how it conducts disease surveillance in poultry.

'I don't know if there is insufficient surveillance or if the data is too frightening to be disclosed,' he said.


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060616-0706-birdflu-china-hongkong.html

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<B><center>6/17/2006 4:00:00 AM
<font size=+1 color=red>Prepared for avian bird flu?</font>
Professionals say no

By BRANDON WILSON
Staff Reporter
<A href="http://campverdebugle.1upsoftware.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=17711&TM=42994.2">campverdebugle.com</a></center>
There has not yet been a mutated human-to-human strain, nor has the avian bird flu upgraded to a pandemic.

But the risk is there, and that has prompted a handful of governors in the West to hear more information and discuss strategies regarding preparedness planning.</b>

"Nobody's going to blame you for a pandemic, but nobody's going to forgive you for not planning now," said Quantum Leap Health Sciences President Dr. Stephen Prior at the Western Governors Association meeting in Sedona on Tuesday.

Governors from seven western states listened as four medical and pharmaceutical professionals gave updates on the flu and offered opinions on how to better prepare. The general consensus shared by these professionals was the concerning opinion that the western region, as well as all of the United States, is unprepared.

Prior said the disease is not going away anytime soon, and currently there is a "mixing bowl" of birds in Alaska that will be heading south. It is his opinion that the United States will see bird flu in the later part of this year. If mutated and upgraded to a pandemic, Prior said it could impact up to 40 percent of the population in some way.

He discussed how it would impact many more than just those who get infected. A pandemic would affect the economy and the "bottom line" by causing employees to be fearful of going to work and consumers staying home to avoid contact, he said.

U.S. Pharmaceuticals President Chris Viehbacher and Dr. Reed Tuckson, senior vice-president of consumer health and medical care advancement for the United Health Group, agreed.

Viehbacher said planning and preparing is an important step to ensure protection of people so they can continue to work.

This concept was the first point made by Prior to combat the situation if it were to arise. He stressed the importance of planning for continuity of government and operations. He also warned the governors not to rely on federal resources or the military due to unavailable funds and the United States' involvement in war.

Prior suggested building on the work of others -- and "expect the unexpected."

Tuckson added the importance of creating a national and local "mosaic" to better handle the situation. Dr. Michael Samoszuk, chief medical officer at Roche Diagnostics Corporation, informed the governors of the way state health departments will deal with an outbreak.

All of the professionals later discussed the issue of stockpiling vaccinations. Reed discussed the positives of government stockpiling and the problems associated with individual and private company stockpiling.

Although Viehbacher agreed that stockpiling is important, he discussed the uncertainty of a mutated strain. Vaccinations being produced now are based on the current strain.

"We are not to know if there will be a drift or a shift when it goes human to human," Viehbacher said.

He said that the current vaccination will be a good step, but ultimately, there will be a need for a modified vaccine to battle the mutated strain.

"Stockpiling allows us to build up quantities we need, but the downside is [the question as to] how these vaccines will work with the mutated strain," Viehbacher said.

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<B><center>Press release:
<font size=+1 color=brown>Red Cross Red Crescent prevented from preparing for avian flu spread and human influenza pandemic risk</font>
17 Jun 2006 14:37:00 GMT
<A href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/218536/115055523877.htm">www.alernet.org</a></center></b>

<i>Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland</>
Website: http://www.ifrc.org

<b>More Two months after the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched a global appeal for 17.4 million Swiss Francs (USD 13.4 million/EUR 11 million) to combat the spread of avian flu and reduce the risk of a human influenza pandemic, the coverage of the appeal remains worryingly low at only 3.2 per cent. This means the International Federation is limited in its support to member Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies for preparedness measures and response. </b>

"Avian flu and a possible human pandemic are a real threat. Though the media headlines have disappeared the risk has not," says Dr. Pierre Duplessis, the International Federation's Special Envoy for Avian Flu. "We need to put preventive measures in place now as this will help communities worldwide to be better prepared should a crisis occur. An investment of 17 million Swiss francs is a good investment to save lives", he adds.

Current resources and support mechanisms for a global response are not sufficient. The participation of communities to combat larger outbreaks of avian flu or the possibility of a human pandemic is crucial. Therefore prevention and social mobilization are essential. Communities must learn how to protect themselves to prevent the spread of the virus.

Over the past 9 months, more than 90 National Societies have initiated, through their trained volunteers and staff, a range of activities to contribute to reducing the exposure levels for community members at risk from avian influenza such as small scale poultry farmers, backyard poultry owners, rural poultry traders, women and children. National Societies in many countries, on all continents, have conducted public education campaigns, house-to-house visits in rural communities, information workshops for staff and volunteers and distributed protective equipment or hygiene supplies.

In addition, the role of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is to provide information on management of sick and dead animals, carry out early detection of human cases and provide home-based care and psychosocial support. A crucial part of the International Federation's response will be to provide special training for at least 50,000 volunteers and staff to respond to the specific nature of this crisis. Relief stocks will be pre-positioned to deal with new outbreaks.

"With migration patterns of wild birds commencing again in July, the risk of avian flu spreading across more countries and continents is real. Therefore the threat of a human pandemic will increase. We need to take preventive action now," says Dr. Adelheid Marschang, Senior Health Officer at the International Federation.

For years the International Federation has lobbied donors to support disaster preparedness measures against risks such as avian flu. In the past, preparedness measures have helped to minimize the effect of SARS, ebola and malaria. The key advantage of disaster preparedness is that it is more cost effective than disaster response. Prevention is cheaper than cure. In addition, with no vaccine yet available to counter H5N1 in humans, parallel efforts in hygiene control and education are key for risk reduction amongst vulnerable communities.

The International Federation is co-ordinating its action with the ICRC, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations Systems co-ordination mechanism at regional and global levels to ensure a complementary approach.

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<B><font size=+1 color=green><center>State continues with pandemic preparation</font>

By NASEEM SOWTI
nsowti@muncie.gannett.com
06/17/06
<A href="http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060617/NEWS01/606170323/1002">www.thestarpress.com</a></center>
MUNCIE -- The "journey" to preparing a plan for a possible flu pandemic continues, representatives from various state government agencies said during a pandemic and avian flu preparedness media seminar in Indianapolis on Friday.

Bird flu has affected 227 people in Asia so far, more than half of whom have died. Also, millions of infected birds and poultry have been culled overseas.</b>

While the number of people infected with avian flu remains low, officials warned that people need to pay attention to the developments and educate themselves as best as possible.

"We have so many people in the public that have not taken this seriously," said state health commissioner Judith Monroe. "People need to become involved. Media needs to let people know that they need to take this seriously."

Officials emphasized that individuals, businesses and local government need to be prepared and educated about the flu pandemic, because up to one-third of the population can be affected by it.

"This is unlike anything else we plan for," Monroe said. "If there's a hurricane, people from outside of that area can go in and help, but (a flu pandemic) affects everyone."

The representatives also reminded the public about the new state Web site, www.fluinfo.in.gov, which has updates and information about avian flu.

But they added, creating a definitive preparedness plan is not feasible at this time.

This is partly because "information is trickling in every day," said J. Eric Dietz, executive director of Indiana Department of Homeland Security. "So, planning is a journey."

Dietz added that IDHS has finalized the draft of a plan, which will go out to Indiana counties soon for guidelines that the counties can use for planning. The state department of health has already posted a plan on its Web site, and other state agencies are developing their plans.

And many details still need to be worked out.

For instance, Dr. Monroe said that she has not seen any federal guidelines on protective gear needed for the members of the media who will be on the scene during a flu pandemic. She said that this will be a question she will pose to the federal officials during her next meeting with them.

Also, details such as quarantines and hospitalizations are still being worked out, according to Dietz.

Meanwhile, the state has heightened its bird and poultry screening.

"If there is a case of avian flu (in birds), it doesn't mean we have a flu pandemic, and there is no reason for people not to eat Chick-Fil-A," said Denise Derrer of the state board of animal health.

Scientists predict avian flu will not create a pandemic until it mutates to become transmissible from human to human.

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<B><center>Editorial:
<font size=+1 color=blue>Are we prepared for the bird flu?</font>

Saturday, June 17, 2006
<A href="http://www3.metrowestdailynews.com/opinion/view.bg?articleid=133079">www3.metrowestdailynews.com</a></center>
We're warned on an almost a daily basis that a bird flu pandemic -- one with the potential to kill millions of people around the world -- is sure to happen sooner or later. We're told to prepare.

Are you prepared? Chances are you are not, neither are the local agencies you and your family will turn to first in the event of a pandemic, and neither is the state.</b>

Gov. Mitt Romney expects a vote soon by the Legislature's Joint Committee on Health Care Financing on his $37.4 million pandemic flu plan. The funding would provide an additional 5,000 hospital beds, 2,000 ventilators and other hospital equipment. In addition, it would allow the state to stockpile food, anti-viral medications and other supplies for use by hospitals and other agencies in the event of a pandemic.



His proposal, however, could be months away from final passage. Once approved by the legislative committee, the plan must then go to the Ways and Means Committee, and finally to the Senate and House of Representatives.

And as the governor's proposal does not distribute resources to local boards of health, that will be a sticking point for area legislators who want the proposal reworked so that cities and towns receive funding for pandemic planning.

In the meantime, other funding resources go begging. The MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation offered $10,000 grants to local boards of health for bird flu preparation. Only three of the 25 eligible communities applied. The others said they weren't aware the money was available and didn't have the staff to pursue it.

Foundation officials say the grant money will be offered again in the fall, and local health officials would be wise to grab the chance the second time around.

Even if Romney's proposal becomes law by the fall, it will focus on hospitals, said Rep. Patricia Walrath, D-Stow, co-chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. "They're (towns) going to a be pretty much on their own," she said.

It's not a comforting scenario, but take heart. There are individual things all of us can do to prepare for a bird flu pandemic, and they are the same things we do to avoid seasonal flu. They are:


Wash your hands often with soap and water;


Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;


Don't touch your nose, mouth or eyes;


Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, never cough in the direction of someone else, and cough or sneeze into a tissue or the inside of your elbow;


Clean things that are touched often like door handles and telephones;


Avoid contact with anyone who has a cold or the flu.

In the case of a pandemic, of course, other precautions will be urged, and even mandated. Schools would close, large public events would be canceled, and people would be asked to stay in their homes. And that means all of us should stockpile food, water and medicines in our homes.

According to a public health fact sheet, pandemics are rare events, but just in case, be prepared.

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<B><font size=+1 color=purple><center>Experimental Vaccine Protects Lab Animals Against Several Strains Of H5N1</font>

Main Category: Flu / SARS News
Article Date: 16 Jun 2006 - 19:00pm
Also Appears In
Bird Flu / Avian Flu
<A href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=45159">www.medicalnewstoday.com</a></center>
Nations are preparing to stockpile vaccines against H5N1, the strain of influenza virus that experts fear could cause the next flu pandemic. But will these vaccines remain effective as the virus mutates? Researchers present good news in the July issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. </b>

Elena Govorkova, MD, PhD, Robert G. Webster, PhD, and coworkers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., used reverse genetics to develop an influenza virus with two key proteins on its surface derived from an H5N1 strain. They inactivated the virus and used it to vaccinate ferrets. The vaccine protected the ferrets from getting sick when exposed not only to the flu strain from which the vaccine was made, but also two other strains, including a deadly strain labeled A/Vietnam/1203/04.

Cross-strain protection is exactly what one would need, as it would protect against newly emerging variants until a strain-specific vaccine can be developed. The reverse genetics method used by the St. Jude investigators would allow rapid vaccine preparation, which is crucial in a potentially fast-moving pandemic. Other undertaken vaccine approaches have serious shortcomings. Wild-type H5N1 vaccines, for example, cannot be produced on a large scale because of their marked virulence, and vaccines based on less-virulent H5N1 strains have so far been relatively poor stimulators of immunity in human trials.

In the study, the ferrets were vaccinated intramuscularly with one or two doses of vaccine. Both schedules induced a protective antibody response, but the two-dose schedule induced higher levels of antibodies that were cross-reactive to various H5N1 viruses. Human clinical trials have seen similar results, suggesting that two doses of vaccine will be required to effectively protect against an H5N1 flu strain.

In an accompanying editorial, Alan W. Hampson, MSc, of the Australian Influenza Specialist Group, noted that the successful use of a genetically modified whole-virus vaccine that produced protective antibodies against H5N1 virus in ferrets suggests that the ferret model has the potential to provide useful information in assessing vaccines when human data alone are inadequate.

"Possibly the greatest significance of the current study, he added, "is the demonstration of a significant cross-strain protective effect," a finding that "strengthens the argument for stockpiling vaccines prepared from currently available H5N1 vaccine strains."

17 Jun 2006 09:46 GMT DJ

H5N1 Bird Flu Confirmed In Domestic Birds In Hungary-Govt​

BUDAPEST (AP)--The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in domestic poultry in Hungary for the first time, a government official said Saturday.

Lajos Bognar, deputy of the chief veterinarian, said the strain was confirmed by the European Union laboratory at Weybridge, U.K.

Authorities took immediate precautionary measures last week when a farmer reported a sudden loss of 3,000 of his birds, Agriculture Ministry spokesman Andras Dekany said by telephone. He said authorities killed 450,000 domestic birds, primarily geese and ducks, before the E.U. lab confirmed the H5N1 strain.

"We have long treated our findings of the flu subtype as if we had received confirmation from Weybridge. We started destroying the flock anyway, making absolutely certain the virus won't spread," Dekany told The Associated Press.

Samples for further testing were sent to the E.U. reference laboratory in Weybridge last week after Hungary had detected the H5 subtype in the southern county of Bacs-Kiskun.

The Agriculture Ministry said 8.5 billion forints ($39.2 million) could be spent on the extermination of fowl in the county.

The damage to farm owners is estimated to reach 1 billion forints.

Hungary's first case of H5N1, detected in February, was found to be carried by wild birds including swans and gray geese.

Japan this week temporarily halted imports of Hungarian poultry products, including fois gras, because of bird flu concerns.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 17, 2006 05:46 ET (09:46 GMT)

http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2006061709460000&Take=1

Indonesia: Two journalists are suspected of having H5N1

Avian Flu News Tracker​

June 17, 2006 3:51 p.m.

Updated regularly with news on avian-flu precautions, research and outbreaks. All times EST.

Friday, June 16

10:45 a.m.: Two journalists are suspected of having H5N1. A reporter for the Indonesian newspaper Tempo was thought to be infected with H5N1 after covering a mass cull of flu-infected poultry, Indonesian officials told the Jakarta Post. A second journalist, working for Indonesian daily publication RES, was thought to have H5N1 after attending a bird-flu victim's funeral, the state Antara news agency reported.

http://online.wsj.com/public/articl...fcgN3zajns2WY43LVH7E4_20051019.html?mod=blogs

33 'posible' BF cases in HK

Hospital Authority Enhanced Surveillance Programme
**************************************************

In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority (HA) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme on June 15.

Public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.

HA today (June 17) received reports of five cases (four male, 1 female, aged 1 to 81). So far, a total of 33 cases (20 male, 13 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The HA has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.

Ends/Saturday, June 17, 2006

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200606/17/P200606170125.htm

Indonesian Battle against Bird Flu Hampered by Limited Funding and Protests

Reports from various sources indicate that Indonesia continues to struggle with obtaining adequate funding and public cooperation for controlling avian flu. On June 13 Bloomberg News reported that according to the World Bank, “Indonesia has among the highest highly pathogenic avian flu risks” with the H5N1 avian influenza virus “considered endemic in poultry in most provinces in the country” and the “lowest capacity to respond” with surveillance systems being “limited and generally unreliable to detect outbreaks.”

Bloomberg News reported that according to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Indonesian officials have reported 2 outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry as of April 2006, which occurred in 2 of Indonesia’s 30 provinces. However, according to Antonio Petrini, Deputy Head of Information at OIE, this number of outbreaks is “underestimated of course...I don't know the true number...we don't have data week-by-week.''

Lack of resources is a major contributor to underreporting of outbreaks. On June 12, Kyodo News reported that according to a report prepared by the World Bank for a meeting of the Consultative Group on Indonesia, avian influenza surveillance programs within Indonesia, “which should be top priorities” are “under-funded and under- prioritized.” According to the World Bank, the “current strategy is estimated to cost $900 million over three years” but the “2006 state budget only includes...about $59 million...of which one-third goes to animal health and the remainder to human health” and it is “unclear how the government of Indonesia intends to finance the shortfall, as the allocated national budget is insufficient, available grant funds are limited and unlikely to increase significantly, and so far the government is reluctant to borrow for avian influenza."

Resistance to poultry culling efforts to control H5N1 outbreaks also may be hampering efforts to contain avian influenza outbreaks in Indonesia. On June 13, Antara News reported the ‘Anti Bird Flu Rumors Coalition’ has held a protest in Indonesia’s North Sumatra district of Karo over the government’s plan to selectively cull poultry within the district to help stop the spread of the H5N1 virus. Members of the Anti Bird Flu Rumors Coalition claim that culling efforts are unwarranted within their district because their poultry is healthy and the bird flu statements are destroying the livelihoods of local poultry farmers.


Source: Univ of Pgh Biosecurity Briefing Email

Canada quarantines second poultry flock for bird flu
Sun Jun 18, 2006 6:27 PM EDT
By Marcy Nicholson

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada is investigating a second backyard poultry flock for bird flu, although all birds remain healthy, authorities said on Sunday.

"A quarantine has been instituted at that premise and it's because there's been contact either with live birds or through foot traffic and potential contamination with the original infected farm," said Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian Jim Clark.

The CFIA announced on Friday it had detected a case of H5 avian flu in a gosling from a backyard poultry flock after four goslings died, in the eastern province of Prince Edward Island.

Test results are expected on Tuesday, to confirm if the virus is a North American or Asian strain. If there is enough virus present, the CFIA will be able to determine whether it is a high or low pathogen strain.

"There's no direct evidence that the influenza virus was the cause of the problem in the four birds that died," Clark added.

All birds on the second farm, adjacent to the original farm, remain healthy and the CFIA has taken some swab samples to determine if the virus exists on that farm.

The noncommercial flock of 35 to 40 ducks, geese and chickens on the original farm were euthanized by the CFIA on Friday.

Clark said he was not aware of any human illness linked to the virus.

The CFIA has said there is no evidence the case involves the high-pathogen H5N1 strain that has spread to 48 countries since 2003. H5N1 has not been discovered in the Americas.

http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/...94_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-FOOD-BIRDFLU-CANADA-COL.XML

Link to tomorrows (6/19) Bird Flu thread: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=201283