Funny. I don't remember hearing about these bird flu outbreaks before?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/us.htm

Outbreaks in North America

Outbreaks in North America with Transmission to Humans

Below is a listing of outbreaks of avian influenza in North America during which transmission to humans has occurred, or instances of human infection with avian influenza. This list will be kept current.

H7N3 in Canada
On February 19, 2004, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced an outbreak of avian influenza A (H7N3) in poultry in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. Culling operations and other measures were performed in an effort to control the spread of the virus. Health Canada reported two cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza A (H7): one in a person involved in culling operations on March 13-14, and the other in a poultry worker who had close contact with poultry on March 22-23. Both patients developed conjunctivitis (eye infection) and other flu-like symptoms; their illnesses resolved after treatment with oseltamivir.

Although these are the only laboratory-confirmed cases of avian influenza A (H7) in humans during this outbreak in Canada, approximately 10 other poultry workers exhibited conjunctival and/or upper respiratory symptoms after having contact with poultry. Use of personal protective equipment is mandatory for all persons involved in culling activities, and compliance with prescribed safety measures is being monitored. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and clinical evaluation is ongoing, as is surveillance for signs of avian influenza in exposed persons. There is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission of avian influenza in this outbreak. For more information about this outbreak, visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/avflu/situatione.shtml.

H7N2 in New York
In November 2003, a patient with serious underlying medical conditions was admitted to a hospital in New York with respiratory symptoms. One of the initial laboratory tests identified an influenza A virus that was thought to be H1N1. The patient recovered and went home after a few weeks. Subsequent confirmatory tests conducted in March showed that the patient had been infected with an H7N2 avian influenza virus. An investigation to determine the source of infection is ongoing.

Outbreaks in North America Among Poultry
Below are examples of outbreaks of avian influenza among poultry. Outbreaks of these types occur from time to time and the listing below in not comprehensive or regularly updated. For more detailed and updated information about outbreaks of avian influenza in North America, visit the USDA website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/hpai_world/hpai_world.html.

H5N2 in Poultry in Texas
In February 2004, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N2) was detected through routine surveillance and reported in a flock of 7,000 chickens in Gonzales County in south-central Texas. This was the first outbreak of HPAI in the United States in 20 years. Chickens from this flock were sent to two live bird markets in the Houston area. The affected flock and live bird markets were quarantined, depopulated (poultry were culled), and the premises were cleaned and disinfected. Three distinct zones, with varying intensities of surveillance, were established around the index flock for surveillance. All samples taken from the surveillance zones tested negative for avian influenza. The quarantine of the affected flock and premises was lifted on March 26. On April 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) that HPAI in Gonzales County, Texas, had been completely eradicated.

The H5N2 strain in Texas was a different influenza virus from the H5N1 virus reported in parts of Asia (which also is highly pathogenic among poultry). The Texas H5N2 and the Asian H5N1 outbreaks were not related. The H5N1 outbreaks among poultry in Asia have been associated with human illness in Thailand and Vietnam, but no human illnesses occurred from the H5N2 virus in Texas.

The potential risk of human infection with an H5N2 avian virus similar to that reported in Texas is likely to be very low, but such risk does exist. Risk depends on the degree of exposure to infected birds and areas or objects contaminated by the virus and the capacity (which can vary considerably) of the virus to infect people. CDC issued interim guidance documents recommending measures to prevent possible human infection with avian influenza viruses during avian influenza outbreaks in the United States. These interim guidance documents are applicable to the Texas outbreak, as well as to other avian influenza outbreaks that may occur in the United States. These documents are available on CDC’s Web site and include Interim Recommendations for Persons with Possible Exposure to Avian Influenza During Outbreaks Among Poultry in the United States and Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities.

H7N2 in Poultry in Maryland
In March 2004, surveillance samples from a flock of chickens in Pocomoke City, Maryland, tested positive for a low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) strain of H7N2. The premises were quarantined, depopulated, and cleaned and disinfected. Surveillance zones around the affected flock were established. It is likely that this is the same strain as the one that affected poultry flocks in Delaware in February 2004.

H2N2 in Pennsylvania
In February 2004, routine surveillance detected low pathogenic H2N2 in a layer flock. There was no outbreak of disease associated with this detection and no virus was isolated. The farm was put under quarantine, and 16 poultry flocks in the surrounding surveillance zone were tested for avian influenza. No other infected flocks were found.

H7N2 in Poultry in Delaware and Live Bird Markets in New Jersey
In February 2004, an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza A (H7N2) was reported on two chicken farms in Delaware and in four live bird markets in New Jersey that had been supplied by one of the affected Delaware farms. The affected flock and live bird markets were quarantined and depopulated, and the premises were cleaned and disinfected. In Delaware, surveillance zones were established around the affected flock. After surveillance for avian influenza found no additional cases, authorities on April 5 lifted restrictions on Delaware and eastern shore Maryland poultry farmers, allowing poultry houses to be restocked.

The H7N2 virus associated with these infections was significantly different from the H7N7 avian influenza virus that caused human illness in the Netherlands in 2003.

Although the risk of human infection with H7N2 viruses is thought to be very low, it is possible that these viruses could infect humans. CDC issued interim guidance documents to limit the possibility of human infection with avian influenza viruses during such outbreaks in the United States. These documents are available on the CDC Web site and include Interim Recommendations for Persons with Possible Exposure to Avian Influenza During Outbreaks Among Poultry in the United States and Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities.

Professional Guidance
Interim Recommendations for Persons with Possible Exposure to Avian Influenza During Outbreaks Among Poultry in the United States

Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities

More Information
For more information about outbreaks of avian influenza in North America, visit the USDA website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/hpai_world/hpai_world.html.

[ClintonTyree]

1. I knew about the ones in Toronto........

but not the rest. Toronto is just a hop, skip and a jump from me, (the Buffalo, NY area) so we're kept abreast of information from north of the border.
Toronto is still one of my favorite cities in the world though, it certainly makes Buffalo look like crap.

[kestrel91316]

2. Relax. There is NOT some big conspiracy to keep all these

avian influenza cases secret. We in the veterinary profession have been hearing about this for years - it's nothing new, and it's one of the reasons why we pay our taxes which fund USDA APHIS.

The MSM never bothered to report most of these, because the average American couldn't give a rat's a-- about sick chickens in TX or anywhere else, unless it caused the price of chicken to quadruple in the store.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Why the big avian flu push in the media now then? Any ideas? n/t

[kestrel91316]

6. Number one, because H5N1 IS a legitimate threat, and the public

health community raised the alarm, and number two, because the dumbass media can't differentiate between the dangerous bugs and the not-so-dangerous bugs. It's all the same to them, and they can make hay out of it all.

I can't wait until the MSM tries to create panic about the new H3N8 canine influenza............sigh.

[NNN0LHI]

10. But the the public health community raised the alarm several years ago?

The media here in America just started reporting on this now. And with great ferocity. Like every 5 minutes all of a sudden like. What brought that on? Any ideas?

And can't the same methods that Texas used last year to defend against the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza be used on H5N1? Or does H5N1 have some special ability to defend itself from these types of eradication techniques? I really don't know?

Don

H5N2 in Poultry in Texas
In February 2004, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N2) was detected through routine surveillance and reported in a flock of 7,000 chickens in Gonzales County in south-central Texas. This was the first outbreak of HPAI in the United States in 20 years. Chickens from this flock were sent to two live bird markets in the Houston area. The affected flock and live bird markets were quarantined, depopulated (poultry were culled), and the premises were cleaned and disinfected. Three distinct zones, with varying intensities of surveillance, were established around the index flock for surveillance. All samples taken from the surveillance zones tested negative for avian influenza. The quarantine of the affected flock and premises was lifted on March 26. On April 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) that HPAI in Gonzales County, Texas, had been completely eradicated.

The H5N2 strain in Texas was a different influenza virus from the H5N1 virus reported in parts of Asia (which also is highly pathogenic among poultry). The Texas H5N2 and the Asian H5N1 outbreaks were not related. The H5N1 outbreaks among poultry in Asia have been associated with human illness in Thailand and Vietnam, but no human illnesses occurred from the H5N2 virus in Texas.

The potential risk of human infection with an H5N2 avian virus similar to that reported in Texas is likely to be very low, but such risk does exist. Risk depends on the degree of exposure to infected birds and areas or objects contaminated by the virus and the capacity (which can vary considerably) of the virus to infect people. CDC issued interim guidance documents recommending measures to prevent possible human infection with avian influenza viruses during avian influenza outbreaks in the United States. These interim guidance documents are applicable to the Texas outbreak, as well as to other avian influenza outbreaks that may occur in the United States. These documents are available on CDC’s Web site and include Interim Recommendations for Persons with Possible Exposure to Avian Influenza During Outbreaks Among Poultry in the United States and Interim Guidance for Protection of Persons Involved in U.S. Avian Influenza Outbreak Disease Control and Eradication Activities.

[kestrel91316]

12. The MSM had to have something else to obsess about, lol.

After all, the Natalee/Aruba story was going nowhere, NOLA was winding down, and so until Fitz comes out with his indictments, they had some air time to fill. Actually, my guess is the CDC had some big press conference, and that started the ball rolling in the broadcast and print media. They will beat it to death, and then move on. People will forget, get complacent, and THEN it will strike. Sigh.

We have a very good detection/management system in place for avian flu in poultry, thanks to USDA APHIS, but what we are worried about is a mutation that would cause a highly lethal strain to start propagating directly person-to-person, and then being imported (likely by air) into the US and around tha globe. USDA won't be of any help there. We need a fully functional CDC and FEMA and whatever office of emergency pandemic response (you know, the one run by another Bush crony) is involved. And they have been gutted by Bush. We have a very poor public health system in the US right now, NOT ready for the pandemic.

[havocmom]

7. And from personal observation, seems vets are more on the ball

with diagnosis than people doctors ;). We had bad Pertussis outbreaks for YEARS around here before the MDs started noticing. Too much thinking they know what's wrong and going with the disease de jour than FINDING OUT.

MDs seem to find what they expect to see, whether it is there or not. My dog/cat's doctor seems to get things right pronto. In an area that produces critters to eat, the vets are alert.

[kestrel91316]

13. That's because you have to actually be psychic to be a vet.............

how the hell else are we supposed to know what is wrong with those damned dogs and cats! They won't tell us what is going on. Sheesh.

Actually, we have to practice much more primitive medicine (diagnostically) than physicians do, because so often people can't afford lots of tests. So we have to be good at getting a history, asking the owner all the right questions, good physical exam, and then know the list of diffential diagnoses and play the odds. Then when we are right, it just makes us LOOK like we are psychic, lol.

I think I had pertussis several years ago, but it never occurred to me at the time (I naively thought those childhood vaccinations were good for life, which is absurd since we know that puppy and kitten shots are not good for life). I got a bad cold/flu that left me with a horrible severe irritated cough for WEEKS. I honked like a goose! It finally cleared up, but it was very different from your run-of-the-mill cold.

[havocmom]

23. Hear ya about the psychic angle! I do think vets are, by nature, more

observant than MDs and lots more intuitive, which I believe is just a better ability to take in all the info and connect it better than most people allow themselves.

I am actually a decent diagnostician, and look, ma, NO med school. I just tend not to be so entrenched in my beliefs (and, yes, many scientists are hobbled by them too, tho they think not) that I don't actually see what I am looking at. Dogs and cats (injured bunnies and birds too) seem to seek me out when they have a boo-boo or are sick. Around here, long way to a vet. Havocdad's primary degree is wildlife management. We are considering working toward certification as wildlife rehabilitators after he retires soon ;)

About the chance that you battled Pertussis: Honking like a goose is bad, but folks around here were all racing to the bathroom when the coughing fits came on. We all coughed until we puked or pissed, sometimes both at once. Weeks to months. And for too many, every time we get some new little bug, the cough tries to make a comeback. Havocdad is wondering if it is not some opportunistic parasite-like thing like malaria behaves on many, gearing up when the host is down.

[Ladyhawk]

19. Vets still use cultures and sensitivity tests.

Doctors just ask what color your snot is and send you home with a Rx for Amoxicillin (which doesn't work very well on my symptoms).

When I kept getting outer ear infections, I finally asked my doctor to do a culture and sensitivity test. I had to be the one to figure out that, gee...these antibiotics don't seem to be working. Sigh. It turned out I had a pseudomonas infection. It's a bacterium that is present in the environment, but it's a tough little bastard to kill. The correct type of ear drops cured the infection permanently. This was after about a year of recurring infections.

(Interestingly, my parrot had recently been treated (successfully) for a pseudomonas infection. Before and during that time, I had been letting him preen my ear lobes. It was relaxing, but I wonder if he could have transferred the bug to my ears? :shrug: Since pseudomonas is readily found in the environment, there's no way to know for sure)

[jjmalonejr]

4. Funny. I never heard of Al Qaeda before 9/11.

[Silverhair]

14. I had. A few years earlier I had read an article.

It told about AQ & OBL. I can't remember what publication I read about them in.

[flowomo]

5. this has been a big concern in PA for years....

as I recall

[Gin]

8. My personal opinion is we are being setup for something.....

shrub has talked about this too many times.......and didn't I hear that a live bird flu virus... that was re-created based on the past epidemic....was being flown in a plane that crashed? Color me skeptical.

I have my tin foil hat one for this one.

[Silverhair]

15. Take off the tinfoil and hat and do a bit of research.

Earlier this year there was an article in Scientific American about getting samples of the 1918 flu virus. It is needed for study into why it was so deadly. If you want to know more about the flu, read John M Barry's book; "The Great Influenza".

The 1918 virus is no longer deadly to humans. Almost all humans alive today have a level of resistance to it. Just like you do with measles that makes measles a minor childhood illness, but would be deadly to a population that didn't have that resistance.

I haven't hear of any plane carrying sample crashing.

A tinfoil hat is NOT a substitute for learning and thinking.

[NNN0LHI]

16. I may have misread something before...

...but doesn't even our normal yearly "human" influenza contain traces from the 1918 strain? And I think some plane did crash but I am with you on the tinfoil hat stuff this time. Though I do enjoy a bit of my own tinfoil hatting occasionally so no offense to the poster.

Don

[Silverhair]

18. Yes. All human flu viruses now have some 1918 in them.

That is why we have resistance to them.

[hlthe2b]

9. this current H5N1 strain first identified in 1997

Plenty of us in medicine and public health followed closely. The MSM doesn't pick up on these stories to the degree of a blonde white woman missing in Aruba--unless the Bushies* propaganda machine kicks in. That's the truth.

Sadly, there may be some who discount this threat, simply because the Bushies* now want to hype it for their own agenda. Any time a new variant develops in a species with close contact with humans, we become worried (remember swine flu in the 70s which ultimately did not do what was feared). The reason, is that humans have NO (ZERO< NADA) resistance to mutated strains from other species, e.g birds. By contrast the hysteria over the genetic sequencing of the 1918 Spanish flu virus, while certainly not totally missplaced, misses the point that all human flu viruses since this pandemic share some genetic material with it. This means that any human who has been vaccinated or contracted the flu in their life time has some (variable) level of cross-immunity to the 1918 variety. (word to the wise to those who think they don't benefit from annual flu vaccines)

Unfortunately nonhuman varieties which mutate to infect humans are a tremendous threat, since if they become capable of spread from human-to human (rather than occasional spread from bird to human), the human population is considered to be "virgins" with respect to the virus. No immunity whatsoever.

Plenty of folks are confused about this, so, inevitably the media is doing a shitty job of explaining it.... But, the threat is absolutley real. But, then so is the threat of a "killer" asteroid, or a "supervolcano," such as Yellowstone erupting. We can't predict with certainty when, but we have to take early indicators (e.g., spread in birds) very seriously.


On edit, my advice to worried, confused fellow DUers. I recognize that CDC has come under the thumb of the administration (evidence the anthrax and smallpox vaccination responses). Nonetheless, CDC is highly credible on the issue of pandemic flu. However, if you remain skeptical, follow the WHO (World Health Organization) website. They certainly have no desire (given that they are a UN agency) in propping up the Bushies*. Here's a direct link:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/publichealth/en/

[NNN0LHI]

11. Thank you for taking the time to explain that

I learned a lot.

Don

[Silverhair]

17. Feb 2004 is not very up-to-date on Avian Flu

http://www.recombinomics.com/

His site is updated daily with the latest news on Avian Flu, including maps marking the progress of it.

Click on "What's New" for plain language news.

[pinto]

20. great post, thanks. n/t

[pitohui]

21. because it ain't news if it happens all the time

i feel like a broken record but i wish i could hear at least one apology from those who doubted me when i pointed out in multiple posts that u.s. dept. of agriculture has been dealing w. north american cases of avian flu for many yrs...and i think doing a rather damn fine job of things, frankly

[Silverhair]

22. USDA has NOT been dealing with H5N1. Big difference.

There are many strains of Avian Flu, just as there are many strains of human flu. There is even a cat flu, and a dog flu, and a pig flu. The strains of Avian Flu that have been in the US have NOT jumped to humans. They have stayed with the poultry.

H5N1 has jumped to humans and has shown a very limited ability to jump from human to human. In the humans that have contacted H5N1, it has shown a very high lethality. Because all flues are RNA based, they mutate easily and frequently, so there is a VERY REAL DANGER, that H5N1 will mutate to a rapid H-H form while retaining the high lethality. If it does that, then a deadly pandemic is a possibility. It has happened before.