Bird flu virus is found in Austria 'and Germany'

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=475677d9fb97f4f9&cat=c08dd24cec417021

THE deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has been confirmed in swans in Austria and two dead birds in northern Germany have preliminarily tested positive for the disease.

The latest cases, the first to hit either country, mark the disease's continued progression west across Europe.


If the German cases, on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, are confirmed, they would bring the virus to within about 650 miles of British shores, the closest it has yet come, other than in quarantined birds.

The H5N1 strain, which can be deadly to humans, was also confirmed on Saturday in neighbouring Italy, as well as in Greece and Bulgaria.

more...
It has majorly spread... it soon will hit America soil...matter of time

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. We need to get a Democratic congress and president in power soon.

Only the Democrats know how to handle national emergencies. I hope all those good civil & public servants who left during the Republican years, are prepared to come back to help out once we get these Republican leeches out of power.

[Bluebear]

2. Germany, Austria, report bird flu; domestic poultry ordered moved indoors

Berlin (dpa) - Germany and Austria reported their first suspected cases of the H5N1 bird-flu virus Tuesday in wild swans, and the Berlin government ordered all domestic poultry moved indoors.

Four other European nations have reported outbreaks this week and the disease now appears unstoppable, at least among wild birds.

The latest suspected infections were in four dead swans on the island of Ruegen, off Germany's Baltic Sea coast. Preliminary tests showed that two of them might have the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, the government said. Final laboratory results are expected Thursday.

In Austria, two possibly infected dead swans were found in the country's south-east. An agriculture official in Styria province, Hans Seitlinger, said it was 70 per cent probable they had H5N1.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=79526

[zann725]

3. Are these "isolated" cases? How many HUMANS have died? How many birds?

Seems like "someone" keeps fanning-the-flames of this smoldering story...for far too long. If it's being scientifically "humanly-created" and "spread"...then it IS a problem. Otherwise, let's let-it-go, and move on to far more time-crucial things.

Friends from Asia say that "bird flu" has existed for decades there, where rural families keep "family" birds in the house, and "bird flu" at times spread to members of the family. Yet that "bird flu" NEVER went on to become an epidemic.

[Mojorabbit]

7. It isn't this flu to be worried about

It is it's daughter to come. The WHO stated last week it had obtained three of five mutations needed to go pandemic in the past few months.

[SaveElmer]

12. That is meaningless...

That is like saying I am one mutation away from being able to fly...it's not the number it's the type. No one knows how difficult that mutation is to make or how long it will take. There is an argument to be made that the virus has been in the wild so long, and come into contact with so many people, that it may not be able to make that mutation. Know one really knows.

WHat I find interesting is that no poultry workers, or bird cullers have become sick, even those not wearing protective clothing. I'm reading some are saying there may be a genetic component to who catches the virus and who doesn't

[Mojorabbit]

13. Hey I wasn't the one who said it

Dr Nabarro of the WHO did. And no I don't think we really have the science to say for sure but that seems to be what they are thinking. I am not a virologist.

[SaveElmer]

15. No I know you didn't...

Dr. Nabarro has had to be reigned in by WHO before when he was making the statements about the number of expected deaths.

[Javaman]

4. I won't be worried until, some urbanite living in an apt at least 100..

miles from the nearest live chicken gets infected.

Until then this is all hyped bullshit.

Folks, this is doing nothing but driving up the price of tamiflu and raise rumspukes stock.

Jumping + Bandwagon = stupidity.

[Javaman]

5. The only upside to this coming to the states is...

a real close examination of how fucked up the poultry industry is in this country.

[AnneD]

8. Wait til they find out...

how even more fked up the health care system is....We will have more people die from that than needs to, just like Katrina.

[SaveElmer]

6. C'mon...majorly spread?

A few scrawny swans is hardly a major spread. No poultry flocks and no human cases. I know you are keeping up with this, but you lose credibility when you screm the sky is falling everytime a dead bird is found.

[Mojorabbit]

10. It has spread in many countries in the past few weeks in birds

Hong Kong(resurgence)
Germany
Hungary
Croatia
Italy
Cyprus
Greece
Kazakhstan
Iraq
Romania
Mongolia
Austria
Azarbaijan
Nigeria
and that is just off the top of my head.

I read a report (that I can't seem to find the link to) that states it is now endemic in many countries and they are estimating it taking at least ten years before it can be removed in Indonesia if at all.

[SaveElmer]

11. This is highly misleading...

It has not spread in most of these countries...in most a few migratory birds have been found with it. No poultry flocks and no human cases in the following

Hong Kong(resurgence)
Germany
Hungary
Croatia
Italy
Cyprus
Greece
Kazakhstan
Romania
Mongolia
Austria
Azarbaijan

In most of these I would not be surprised if no human case ever pops up. The nature of their poultry industry is quite different.

Two cases in Iraq.

No cases in Vietnam in 3 or 4 months. Thailand has had very few if any in quite a while

Indonesia and Nigeria is where effort needs to be concentrated. Aside from whatever mutation danger there is, the economic harm to these poor families is really the biggest problem right now. There needs to be a worldwide response to aid them as well as to control the spread.

[FormerRepublican]

9. The comforting thought about bird flu going pandemic is that DHS will...

...be in charge of the response (NOT CDC!). :sarcasm:

[VegasWolf]

14. Never worry!! We have the Katrina people in charge in this country!!!

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm: