Ghana: No compensation without bio-securiity measures

The Ghanan government announced today at the outset of a three-day workshop on prevention of H5N1 that it would no longer compensate farmers for lost or culled birds due to H5N1 if those farmers did not observe

During the last outbreak, the government compensated farmers for more than 27,000 lost birds without taking preventive measures into account. Since then, the Veterinary Services Directorate has begun training farmers on appropriaite measures to keep their poultry secure.

The workshop and simulation are co-sponsored by the Ghanan government with the Food and Agriculture Oragnisation (FAO) and USAID.

Full story: http://www.accra-mail.com/mailnews.asp?id=2848

Developments in Indonesia

Eight people suspected of being infected with H5N1 in Medan were all declared free of the virus. No new cases have been reported since the death last week of Linda Tismeri.

Tismeri, the 87th confirmed H5N1 death in Indonesia, traveled from her home in rural Riau to Jakarta to visit family after contracting the virus, raising concerns that she may have passed it on to others. The Indonesian government is following up her contacts to ensure there was no spread of the virus.

There is no evidence at this time of any spread.

Full story, via H5N1 blog: http://www.scottmcpherson.net/display/ShowJournal?moduleId=1366394&categoryId=116462

87th H5N1 death in Indonesia

"A 44-year-old woman from Indonesia's Sumatra island has died of bird flu, raising the toll in the nation worst affected by the disease to 87, the health ministry said Monday. Two samples taken from the woman tested positive for the H5N1 virus, the health ministry's bird flu information centre said in a press release."

"The ministry statement said it had not confirmed if the woman had been in contact with infected poultry, the usual method of transmission."

From Channel News Asia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/304443/1/.html

Vietnam: All levels of government must participate in H5N1 prevention

At a seminar in Hanoi on October 5 attended by the Vietnam Ministry of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Director of the Preventive Health Department announced that though H5N1 is "temporarily under control", all levels of government - from the commune to the provincial level - must join together to ensure long-term prevention of H5N1 transmission.

The seminar was held to unveil modifications and additions to the government's plan to prevent human transmission of H5N1.

In addition to allowing local communities to take part in the implementation of avian influenza control, the Ministry announced it will establish 15 influenza management offices to monitor surveillance, take samples, and offer guidance and quarantine control to local officials.

Full text available online, via H5N1 blog: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2007/10/748067/

An additional story on the seminar: http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/life/061007/life_s.htm

Indonesia: Holidaymakers to help spread the word on H5N1 prevention

During the Idul Fitri holidays, more than 25 million Indonesians are expected to travel to their hometowns, many from Jakarta. The USAID-funded Community-Based Avian Influenza Control (CBAIC) program capitalized on the opportunity by approaching travelers at bus stations and terminals in Jakarta to encourage them to talk to their family members in their hometowns about avian influenza and ways to prevent its spread.

In addition, CBAIC provided the Primajasa bus company, which travels to many of the provinces affected by H5N1, with 21,000 seat covers containing a quiz and more detailed information about prevention of H5N1. CBAIC hopes this strategy will encourage discussion about H5N1 and spread prevention methods from urban centers to more rural areas.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071006173939&irec=13

Virus circulating in Africa and Europe could be more threatening to humans

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are reporting important mutations in the H5N1 virus circulating in Africa and Europe

"Birds usually have a body temperature of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees F), and humans are 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees F) usually. The human nose and throat, where flu viruses usually enter, is usually around 33 degrees C (91.4 degrees F).
'So usually the bird flu doesn't grow well in the nose or throat of humans,' {Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison} said. This particular mutation allows H5N1 to live well in the cooler temperatures of the human upper respiratory tract."

Recent samples of the virus taken in Africa and Europe all had this particular mutation

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04393544.htm

86th H5N1 death in Indonesia

From Komnas (http://www.komnasfbpi.go.id/berita_eng.php?id=16)


"Test results from the Health Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Health confirmed that a 21-year old man, known as "AR" from Cengkareng area in West Jakarta, is the most recent confirmed H5N1 case in Indonesia. Overall, Indonesia has now recorded 107 confirmed human H5N1 cases with 86 fatalities. The case fatality rate now stands at 80.37%. Up to today, DKI Jakarta has recorded 26 bird flu positive cases with 23 fatalities.
AR, experienced onset of illness on 18 September 2007. He was examined at Sumber Waras Hospital on 25 September 2007, where 2 days later he was moved to the ICU. AR died 28 September 2007 at Sumber Waras Hospital."