Recent News/Alerts
May 9, 2008
Risk Of Bird Flu Pandemic Probably Growing-Experts
GENEVA - The risk of a human influenza pandemic remains real and is probably growing as the bird flu virus becomes entrenched in poultry in more countries, health officials warned on Tuesday.
Some 150 experts are attending a meeting hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to update its guidance to countries on how to boost their defences against a deadly global epidemic.
The H5N1 avian flu virus has infected flocks in much of Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that passes easily from person to person, sparking an influenza pandemic that could kill millions.
"The risk of a pandemic remains and is probably expanding," said Dr. Supamit Chunsuttiwat, a disease control expert at Thailand's health ministry who is chairing the four-day meeting.
Supamit noted the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus persisted on three continents and had caused human cases in Indonesia, Egyptand China this year.
"We are concerned that the spread through migratory birds hasn't stopped. Once the virus is established in birds, it is difficult to get rid of the virus and the risk (to humans) remains unless countries develop good control of transmission in birds," he told Reuters. The avian flu virus rarely infects people, but there have been 382 human cases worldwide since 2003, 241 of them fatal, according to the WHO, a United Nations agency.
Keiji Fukuda, coordinator of WHO's global influenza programme, told the talks: "We can't delude ourselves about the threat of pandemic influenza -- it has not diminished."
The timing of a pandemic "remains speculative," he said.
May 9, 2008
Overwhelming Effect of Pandemic
A pandemic could shut down businesses and schools and overwhelm healthcare systems, particularly in poor countries.
Infected people can shed the virus before symptoms appear, and this increases the risk of international spread through asymptomatic air travellers, the WHO says.
Most countries have drawn up pandemic plans, but the level of preparedness varies. The WHO aims to revise its 2005 guidance to its 193 member states by year-end.
"We are going to improve our guidance and give people and countries better tools to deal with," Fukuda said. "Pandemic preparedness is not just a health sector effort, it is something that requires the whole of society's perspective."
The WHO has set up two global stockpiles of the antiviral Tamiflu, containing 5 million treatment courses donated by the Swiss drugmaker Roche for use in a pandemic.
It is also developing a vaccine stockpile which -- when a vaccine has been produced -- should initially contain 150 million doses, Fukuda said.
At least 16 companies are working on vaccines to prevent bird flu infection in people, including GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Aventis.
"Some are very close to regulatory approval. These are the newer generation vaccines which use less antigen and contain adjuvant but still stimulate an immune response," Fukuda said.
Antigens are substances like toxins, viruses and bacteria that stimulate the production of antibodies. They can be difficult to culture, and scientists have been trying to fix that by using adjuvants, which boost a vaccine's effectiveness.
Large-scale commercial production of a vaccine will not start until a pandemic virus has emerged, because the vaccine must closely match the strain.
The WHO uses six phases of pandemic alert to gauge levels of threat. The world is currently in phase 3, meaning that a new influenza virus sub-type is causing disease in humans but is not yet spreading efficiently."The risk is as great as it has ever been. We hope to send out a very clear message that this effort needs to continue and the threat has not gone away," Fukuda told Reuters.
Story by Stephanie Nebehay
Reuters News Service 2008
Avian Influenza H5 confirmed on Suffolk/Norfolk border
Update 16:00 13 November
Following further test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) the Acting Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that the strain of Avian Influenza present at the Infected Premises near Diss is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. Further characterisation of the virus is in progress, which may give an indication of the origin of the strain.
Local authorities and Animal Health are enforcing a 3km Protection Zone, a 10km Surveillance Zone and a wider Restricted Zone covering the whole of Suffolk and most of Norfolk around the Infected Premises. In these zones, movement restrictions will be imposed and poultry must be isolated from wild birds. In addition, it has been announced that the national general licence on bird gatherings has been revoked, and bird shows and pigeon racing will not be permitted for the time being.
A full epidemiological investigation and tracings of any dangerous contacts are underway and all possible sources of the outbreak will be investigated.
Update: 21:45 12 November
Further restrictions are being put in place in a wider area surrounding the infected premises near Diss as a precautionary measure:
- A wider Restricted Zone has been established in addition to the controls put in place earlier today; the new Restricted Zone covers much of Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk
- The new Restricted Zone requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds. Movements within this zone can take place, but movements are not permitted out of the new zone at present. We expect to make available general licences for low risk movements out of the zone shortly.
- No movements of poultry are permitted at present in the 3km and 10km zones around the Infected Premises.
- In addition, the national general licence permitting bird gatherings in England has been revoked, and bird shows and pigeon racing will not be permitted for the time being.
These measures are a precaution while the results of further laboratory tests and investigations into the outbreak are awaited.
Position at 16:15 12 November
Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in turkeys on a premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border after preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain. The premises also contain ducks and geese. All birds on the premises will be slaughtered.
Full confirmation of results, including whether or not this is H5N1 and whether the strain is high or low pathogenic will follow.
A 3km Protection Zone and a 10km Surveillance Zone are being established around the Infected Premises. Inside these zones bird movements will be restricted and all birds must be housed or otherwise isolated from contact with wild birds. We are also urgently considering with ornithological and other experts what wider measures may be needed.
All poultry keepers on the GB Poultry Register will be notified, and the EU Commission has been informed.
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