Is the U.S. Looking in the Wrong Direction for the Avian Flu?

December 06, 2006 11:56 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

While the U.S. has focused on Alaska as the most likely place where migratory birds could first bring the avian flu virus to the states, a new study suggests that it is more likely to come from the South.  And so far, the U.S. has not focused its attention there.

The study, to be published later this week, suggests that the H5N1 avian influenza will most likely be brought to the Western Hemisphere through infected poultry to Central and South America and that "the subsequent movement of infected migrating birds from countries south of the U.S. would be a likely pathway for H5N1 avian influenza to reach the U.S.A."

The study was led by Dr. Marm Kilpatrick of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine, along with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Smithsonian.

According to Kilpatrick, while the U.S. has tight controls on poultry imports, such as a USDA 30-day quarantine and influenza testing, other countries in Central and South America do not have adequate controls.  Kilpatrick and the others conclude that infected poultry would then contaminate migratory birds that would migrate to the U.S. from the South.

"Subsequent spread by the greater than 4 million migratory ducks, geese and swans," says the report, "from the south would then make introduction into the United States likely."

Kilpatrick says that he is concerned that U.S. efforts so far have focused on the virus coming down from the North.

"The South is certainly not the focus of our surveillance efforts right now, and that is somewhat surprising," he said.

A spokesman for the Fish & Wildlife Department, Nicholas Throckmorton, acknowledged today that surveillance efforts have focused mostly on Alaska and the Northwest, but he added that over the course of the year the understanding of the disease has become better and better.

Throckmorton said this study as well as others will be incorporated into the planning process for the 2007 surveillance program, which will begin shortly.

The study also concludes that tighter controls on poultry could help reduce the risk of spread.

"We conclude that the most effective strategy to prevent H5N1 from being introduced into the Western Hemisphere would be strict controls or a ban on the importation of poultry and wild birds into the Americas and stronger enforcement to curb illegal trade," said the report.

December 6, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (6)

Avian Flu Still A Risk; New More Dire Predictions

November 28, 2006 2:28 PM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

The possibility of an avian flu pandemic has not diminished, and there is a new and dire prediction about what the death toll could be. Meanwhile, public health experts fear that public and the media have let their guard down because there has not been an outbreak yet.

"This could still be that we're talking about the possibility of the levees breaking, and it's the year before Katrina strikes," said Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

The lethality rate of an avian flu pandemic could be many times higher than the rate during the flu epidemic of 1918 that killed around 50 million people.

In 1918, the lethality rate was 2.5 percent. Today, there is a possibility that the lethality rate of an avian flu epidemic could be as high as 60 percent to 65 percent if the virus adapts and becomes more transmissible between humans. Over 150 people have died worldwide from avian influenza. Current evidence suggest that close contact to sick or dead birds is the principal source of infection, but researchers worry that a mutation could make the virus more transmissible between humans.

In a recent report by the avian flu working group at the World Health Organization, the panel wrote, "Should the virus improve its transmissibility through adaptation as a wholly avian virus, then the present high lethality could be maintained during a pandemic."

"I have never seen a more scary horrible statement than that," Osterholm said.

In their recent report, the WHO working group also wrote that the virus continues to mutate and that there continues to be a risk of a pandemic.

"Evidence presented indicates that the H5N1 virus is still evolving in animals and humans; much about the disease it causes remains poorly understood," the reports says. "It was further acknowledged that the seriousness of the present situation, including the risk that a pandemic virus might emerge, is not likely to diminish in the near future."

A pandemic, according to Osterholm, is much more than a public health issue, rather it could have a domino effect to topple many world industries.

"From a world perspective, this has to be a top priority," said Osterholm. "What this could do to the world is huge in every other way."

There is much work to be done, according to Osterholm, mainly in the area of vaccine distribution. While governments have been busy stockpiling vaccines, Osterholm says that the focus should be on building assembly lines and plants to manufacture large quantities of a vaccine.

"We've done absolutely nothing to enhance actual production and distribution," he said. Given that the virus that could emerge as the pandemic one will likely be a mutated version of H5N1, the stockpiled vaccines may or may not be effective. The manufacturing plants, however, can be up and ready to go before an outbreak, according to Osterholm, and the exact formula of the vaccine can be determined post-outbreak.

November 28, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (4)

More New Evidence That Children May Be at Greatest Risk for Avian Flu

November 01, 2006 2:08 PM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

There is more evidence that children may be more susceptible than adults to the avian flu virus.

A recent report by the World Health Organization analyzed a recent outbreak of avian flu cases in Turkey in which only children were infected. In all, 10 children between the ages of three and 15 years of age were infected, and four of them died.

In most of the cases, the families kept live poultry at home, which led researchers to conclude that the parents or other adults at home were also likely exposed to the avian flu virus, yet they did not develop any symptoms of the flu.

"Even though both children and parents had most likely been exposed to the same source, infection was documented only among children aged less than sixteen years," states the report, which appears in the WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record this week. "It suggests that age-related factors may influence susceptibility to the disease."

Many of the documented cases of avian flu have been in children, which has led researchers to examine whether or not children are at greater risk for the disease based solely on their age or the fact that in many rural countries children are the main caretakers of poultry at home.

Avian flu experts have predicted that in the event of a major outbreak in the U.S., a quarter to a third of the deaths could be children.

November 1, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (2)

No Avian Flu Found After Thousands of Alaskan Birds Tested

August 31, 2006 9:27 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

The expected avian flu outbreaks in North American birds have yet to show up.

After testing over 13,000 migratory birds in Alaska this summer, no positive results for the avian flu virus, H5N1, have been detected. Now other states have begun preparations for the fall migration.

"Although no high-path H5N1 virus has yet been detected," said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who is in Alaska this week, "we must remain vigilant and thorough in this important detection and early warning program."

Scientists believe Alaska would be one of the first locations where infected birds may be found in the U.S. because many birds migrating from the influenza hot zones in Asia migrate there in the summer. There the Asian birds co-mingle with many birds from the lower 48 states who also migrate to Alaska in the summer months.

While scientists can't do much to stop avian flu from coming to the U.S., they do hope that early diagnosis would enable the government to take any necessary precautions.

Now that fall is approaching, both state and federal biologists in the lower 48 states and Hawaii have begun capturing and sampling various migratory birds as they begin their southern migration.

This year's sampling program includes the goal of testing up to 100,000 migratory birds across the country.

Vote: Has the bird flu threat been overblown?

August 31, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (26)

USDA: Bird Flu in Michigan...But Don't Worry About It

August 15, 2006 10:10 AM

Brian Hartman Reports:

Routine tests have found two swans in Michigan infected with bird flu, but health officials say they have ruled out the deadly strain that has killed 139 people since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. 

Ron DeHaven, administrator of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said "two wild mute swans" tested positive for strains of avian influenza at a wild game preserve in southeastern Michigan. Further tests are required to determine what risk this infection might pose to other birds, but officials have already ruled out the highly pathogenic bird flu that can sicken humans.

"This is not the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus," DeHaven said. "We do not believe that this virus represents a threat to human health."

DeHaven said the swans, two out of 20 tested at the preserve, showed no sign of sickness. "Low-pathogenicity avian influenza" often shows no symptoms. According to USDA, it has been detected in wild birds twice before in the United States in 1975 and 1986.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still busy testing thousands of migratory birds for the H5N1 virus in the hopes of catching any early warning signs of avian flu in Alaska, before the fall migration could send infected birds back to the lower 48 states.

August 15, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (5)

Discovery of Smuggled Poultry Prompts Search of Restaurants and Grocery Stores

July 17, 2006 10:02 AM

Andrew Katz Reports:

The discovery of a large shipment of smuggled Chinese poultry prompted a statewide search of grocery stores and restaurants in Michigan to make sure none of the poultry made it to store shelves or consumers' kitchens. It is illegal to import poultry from China because of fears of avian flu contamination.

Since the illegal poultry was discovered last month, the U.S. and Michigan Departments of Agriculture have seized more than 3,500 pounds of Chinese poultry from a warehouse in Troy, Michigan.

Restaurants and grocery stores that were listed as having had any interaction with the warehouse in the past were inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture in conjunction with local Michigan health departments. No illegal poultry was found in any restaurant or store.

Authorities are still searching, however, for four boxes of smuggled goose intestines that the USDA seized from the warehouse. The boxes went missing after they were marked for detainment. That investigation is still ongoing.

The USDA said there was no reason to believe that the Chinese poultry they seized was contaminated, but they incinerated all of it as a precaution.

Last week, the Tinway Corporation, which owned the warehouse, had its license rescinded.

Brad Deacon, the MDA's emergency management coordinator, told ABC News that authorities recognized the problem, reacted properly and are taking every precaution to ensure public safety.

"I think this helps to demonstrate that the food safety net from federal, state and local is working. We've been working together with our local health departments," he said. "We also have proactively been in any sort of facility that sells these kinds of foods across the whole state."

Read ABC News' recent report on the state of open air poultry markets in Flushing, Queens.

July 17, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (7)

Thousands of Birds Sampled, So Far No H5N1 in Alaska

July 11, 2006 10:02 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

The results of thousands of samples taken from migratory birds in Alaska are in. So far, no signs of H5N1, but thousands more will be tested this month.

As migratory birds from Asia head to Alaska this summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is gearing up for its busiest testing weeks yet. Scientists looking for signs of the avian flu (H5N1) are busy sampling thousands of birds in the hopes of catching any early warning signs of avian flu in Alaska, before the fall migration could send infected birds back to the lower 48 states.

Over 5,000 more samples could be taken this month, and scientists expect to be sending samples back from the field at a rate of around 1,000 a week, according to Deborah Rocque, the Avian Influenza Coordinator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife in Alaska.

Samples will be taken from migratory birds at around 25 field locations throughout the state. The samples will then be sent to the U.S. Geological Survey National Health Center in Madison, Wis., to be tested for H5N1.

Alaska could be one of the first locations where infected birds may be found in the United States because many birds migrating from the influenza hot zones in Asia migrate there in the summer. There the Asian birds co-mingle with many birds from the lower 48 states who also migrate to Alaska in the summer months.

While scientists can't do much to stop avian flu from coming to the US, they do hope that an early diagnosis in Alaska would enable the lower 48 states to take any necessary precautions before the birds return this fall.

July 11, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (0)

Despite Health Concerns, Live Bird Markets Thrive in U.S. Cities

June 29, 2006 9:52 AM

Vanessa Washington Reports:

ABC News' Andrew Katz and Fiore Mastroianni contributed to this report.

The threat of an avian flu pandemic may be closer to home than you think -- perhaps even lurking in your own neighborhood. Unsanitary open-air bird markets in many U.S. cities are poorly monitored and could be the next ground zero for an outbreak. The United States has no comprehensive surveillance plan to monitor the poultry sold in these markets, according to a report released by the Department of Agriculture earlier this month.

Despite these concerns, live bird markets and other "off farm" environments thrive in major cities across the Northeast. One such metropolitan location is Flushing, Queens in New York. Cramped containers and frequent contact with humans provide the perfect setting for transmission of disease.

Workers pull chickens from cages without gloves. The occasional employee dons a sanitary mask, acting only as a reminder of what could happen in the event of a health crisis.

Owners from several Flushing bird shops told ABC News that the birds came from as far away as Brazil and as close as Pennsylvania. And some owners admitted they do not even know where their fowl came from.

The USDA report also identified gaps in the current system, in which states voluntarily report their surveillance of domestic and wild birds.

Mandatory testing of live bird markets is not required by all states, according to a spokeswoman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Karen Eggert. Twenty-one states participate in a voluntary bird market surveillance program, Eggert added.

With respect to the threat of a future epidemic, Eggert said the USDA is prepared for the worst but hoping for the best.

"This disease has moved quickly in different parts of the world, and so we have our strongest safeguards in place so that we don't experience it."

June 29, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (17)

'Mother of All Avian Flu Clusters' in Indonesia

May 24, 2006 10:33 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

Seven members of a family in Indonesia have been diagnosed with avian flu, prompting investigators from the World Health Organization to frantically track down anyone else that may have been in contact with them.

This is the "mother of all clusters," according to WHO regional spokesperson Peter Cordingley.

To date, the WHO says there is no evidence that the virus has spread beyond the family into the general community but that human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out.

Many avian flu experts believe that one of the most likely possible causes of widespread human-to-human transmission will be a mutation of the H5N1 virus. So far, genetic sequencing on the Indonesia virus has not shown that the virus has mutated in any way.

Six of the family have died, and it is believed that another member of the family may also have died from avian flu, but she was buried before samples were taken.

May 24, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (10)

Scientists in Europe Relieved...For Now

May 11, 2006 10:19 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

The avian flu has not spread to Europe by the millions of migratory birds who have recently returned from Africa and other southern points. But some scientists say the autumn migration may pose a bigger threat.

The spring migration may have ended without a major outbreak, but it is the birds coming from the Arctic in August and September that could be more dangerous. There are two reasons why some scientists believe the fall is much more worrisome, according to Simon Delany, of Wetlands International. One, the disease is believed to thrive much better in cold weather, and the birds returning in the fall will be coming from the north. Two, young birds are more susceptible to the disease, and many migratory birds will be returning to Europe in the fall with their young offspring in tow.

There is yet to be a major avian flu outbreak amongst birds in Europe. So far, the biggest outbreak has occurred in Northern Germany when dozens of swans died from the disease in February. Many European nations are relaxing their restrictions on poultry, moving some back outdoors, now that the spring migration is over, but concerns may rise again this fall.

For now, however, people are breathing a sigh of relief.

May 11, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (2)

No Bird Flu Yet

May 05, 2006 10:48 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

There's no sign yet of any bird flu outbreak in Alaska, according to government scientists who have begun sampling and testing migratory flocks in western and northwest Alaska.

Officials in Washington had predicted that infected birds might show up in Alaska by late April or early May.

But scientists in Alaska tell ABC News the migratory flocks are arriving later than expected this year and large scale testing may not begin until July.

Scientists believe the flocks in the Pacific flyway may carry the deadly virus to the lower 48 states after mingling with infected flocks from Asia.

May 5, 2006 in Avian Flu | Permalink | User Comments (1)