Monday, April 12, 2004Avian influenza briefsSouth Korea confirms more bird flu cases
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea said Monday (March 22) that it was culling 400,000 chickens and ducks after authorities confirmed additional bird flu infections, the first in six weeks. The latest infections were found on a chicken farm in Yangju, just north of Seoul, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said. Authorities quickly culled all the 20,000 chickens on the farm. They were also culling a total of 400,000 chickens and ducks on 20 poultry farms within a 1.9-mile radius of the infected farm. Hygiene authorities detected the outbreak after the farm owner reported unusually high death rates among older chickens. So far, South Korea has found 19 farms hit by the disease. Authorities have culled more than 5 million chickens and ducks in an attempt to contain the outbreak. The severe strain of bird flu that has struck poultry populations in several Asian countries this year also has jumped to humans in Thailand and Vietnam, killing at least 24 people. Japan gives aid to fight AI outbreak BANGKOK -- Japan will support Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam with $1.6 million in the fight against avian influenza, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization announced. With Japanese funding, FAO will provide technical expertise, basic emergency equipment and materials for disease investigation, culling operations, cleaning and disinfection of infected premises. Japan will also support the coordination of disease control activities. Small- and medium-sized poultry producers, retailers and consumers will be the main beneficiaries. FAO has already committed $5.5 million for several emergency projects to control avian influenza in Asia. More information can be obtained at http://www.fao.org. USDA grants available for disease studies WASHINGTON -- USDA has announced the availability of grants under its Animal and Plant Biosecurity Program that will focus on two poultry diseases -- avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease. The grants are available from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service and applications must be received by June 15. The primary focus of the grants is the development of biosecurity protocols that will contain, minimize and eliminate spread of the diseases from animal to animal, animal to human (where applicable) and site to site. Comprehensive approaches that link basic and applied research, in conjunction with education and outreach activities to prevent or mitigate possible future losses from these two diseases are encouraged. More information can be obtained by contacting Bob Smith, 202-401-6861, rsmith@ csrees.usda.gov; or Peter Johnson, 202-401-1896, pjohnson@csrees.usda.gov. Tests show bird flu mutating at hatchery VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Tests have revealed mutating strains of avian flu at a chicken farm just north of the U.S. border, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported, and a second farm also is under quarantine. Agency officials said that severe, as well as mild strains of the H7 virus were found at Loewen Acres hatchery in Abbotsford, a few miles north of Sumas, Wash. Officials previously thought only the weaker form was present. "It is unusual -- not unheard of, but it's a rare event -- to have both viruses on the same premises," agency veterinarian Dr. Ken Stepushyn said. Tests from a second barn hatchery show the virus was changing from low to high pathogenicity, which "means it's a nasty virus on birds, it does kill birds at a higher rate, so it's more deadly for the birds," Stepushyn said. The risk to human health remains low, and the virus found on the farm is not the same form of avian flu that is killing people in Asia, officials emphasized. Since the disease was found at Loewen Acres, five workers have fallen ill with mild flu and conjunctivitis. Tests showed avian flu was not to blame in three of those cases. Food inspection officials said the farm operators followed strict international guidelines to combat high pathogenic outbreaks, quickly establishing a quarantine, slaughtering some 16,000 birds on the property and ordering an extensive disinfection process.
Originally published Monday, April 12, 2004
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