Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
H7N9 now efficiently killing poultry |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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Posted: March 26 2017 at 10:50pm |
It seems that our hopes that H7N9 would remain pretty stable and behave more like H5N1 has in recent years may be unfounded - this virus seems to be on the move in more ways than one. If the numbers in this article are correct, the CFR for the new strain is 62% in poultry - not quite as deadly as H5N1, but high enough to be extremely worrisome in the context of a human outbreak. Obviously we don't know what H7N9 could do if it became efficiently H2H, but the fact that it's gone from an asymptomatic avian virus to an extremely efficient killer in a very short time shows it clearly has the potential to rapidly mutate, and that's never a good thing in a novel H7 virus, particularly in light of recent findings suggesting H7N9 is now becoming largely resistant to antivirals. This bug is getting scary.
China confirms outbreak of H7N9 bird flu on Hunan egg farms
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-china-idUSKBN16V18A |
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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Eight
Adviser Group Joined: March 07 2017 Status: Offline Points: 300 |
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So it's becoming HPAI. That's not good.
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Such a beautiful number, eight.
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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And on the move - it's only been weeks since it was first identified in Guangdong Province, and now it's infecting commercial flocks in Hunan. Livestock bringing the virus with them, or the worst case scenario of migratory birds spreading it? Hopefully Guangdong hasn't done it again and unleashed yet another novel virus on the world. After H5N1 and SARS, fingers crossed it's not third time lucky (or unlucky).
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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Correction:it was only a few weeks ago we were informed by the Chinese government.....lol
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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True.
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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CRS, DrPH
Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660 |
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Migratory birds are how H7N9 is theorized to have arrived in the USA: . While the subtype is the same as the China H7N9 lineage that emerged in 2013, this is a different virus and is genetically distinct from the China H7N9 lineage.This is NOT the same as the China H7N9 virus that has impacted poultry and... |
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CRS, DrPH
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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Exactly, Chuck. Lo-path H7N9 made it all the way to the US riding on the backs of migratory birds. If the HPAI strain can manage to hitch a ride, it might finally leave China.
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
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Of course it won't be any avian virus but something way out of left field that knocks us off ,lol
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Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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Vietnam's getting nervous.
Last update 11:13 | 28/03/2017 More efforts needed to prevent A/H7N9 from entering Vietnam The Prime Minister has asked for higher vigilance on the spread of A/H7N9 avian flu, which is reportedly breaking out in neighbouring China. Spraying chemicals at avian flu outbreaks According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, in the first three months of this year, China had recorded 533 people infected with A/H7N9 and more than 2,000 virological samples from chickens, pigeons and ducks tested positive to the virus. Therefore, Vietnam faces a high risk of the disease through the trade of smuggled poultry and poultry products with unclear origins. To prevent the virus from entering Vietnam, the Prime Minister requested ministries and localities to ban all types of trading and slaughtering poultry and poultry products across the border between the two countries. Monitoring activities should be expanded at border gates and paths along the borderlines on people from A/H7N9 outbreaks as well as at slaughterhouses and markets. Exercises to respond to the avian flu disease once it occurs should be held to have effective preventive measures. It is also necessary to collect samples from the environment and poultry in order to early detect A/H7N9 and other viruses which have yet to be recorded in Vietnam. Ha Tinh announces new avian flu A/H5N1 outbreak A new outbreak of avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 has been detected in the central province of Ha Tinh, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Ha Tinh Department for Breeding and Animal Health reported that the virus had been found in signs of the flu in a flock of 1,698 fowls at a family farm in Dai Nai ward in Ha Tinh city since March 21. Up to 50 ducks died and the test showed they infected with A/H5N1. Local authorities culled the dead fowls and sprayed chemicals on the farm and surrounding areas to prevent the virus from spreading. In the meantime, A/H5N1 is hitting Mekong Delta Can Tho city and southern Hau Giang province while an A/H5N6 outbreak is affecting central Quang Tri province. According to the Department of Animal Health, Vietnam faces high risks of infection of new avian flu virus strains, such as A/H7N9, A/H5N2 and A/H5N8 via illegal transport, trading and consumption of poultry, particularly in northern border provinces. The agency
urged all localities to proactively prevent and control avian influenza
and strengthen their supervision and punishment on poultry smuggling
while monitoring their areas to promptly detect and handle any emerging
outbreaks. |
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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Eight
Adviser Group Joined: March 07 2017 Status: Offline Points: 300 |
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I believe we already have our own HPAI H7N9 that flared up in TN, correct?
That being said, what's the general effect on migratory birds due to HPAI? I'd imagine it is a less mild form of the disease, but given that LPAI is essentially nothing there is still the entire spectrum. Any information on that is appreciated. |
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Such a beautiful number, eight.
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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Thanks for pointing that out, Eight. I'll do my best to be more concise next time to avoid confusion.
I should have specified that I was talking about the Chinese HPAI strain - the virus we now have in the US doesn't particularly worry me unless we start to see human cases, and I don't prep for outbreaks in other species unless I think we're next in line. I suspect it could well have been a lo-path strain in transit - at least initially - but that's just conjecture on my part. I assume you mean the new Guangdong strain when you ask about migratory birds. In the absence of any information from China, I have no idea if wild birds are affected by it. That said, highly pathogenic influenza viruses with a significant mortality rate in poultry often present as benign and asymptomatic in certain species of ducks. It could possibly be the case here if the vector is migratory waterfowl, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. I see that you're using the University of Maryland's ISP. Their Poultry Extension Team is staffed by people who seem eminently qualified to answer your questions, particularly with respect to avian viruses and biosecurity. Might be worth tracking them down - if you do, please feel free to share any insights they might have. I'm sure they know far more about this than me. |
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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