NEWS: France Reports Bird Flu Case

The French authorities are in a frantic battle to confirm if a duck found dead has the leathal H5N1 bird flu virus, this coming only days after Germany, Nigeria, Slovenia,Italy and Egypt confirm cases. The UN are concerned that thespread of the virus into africa will be catestrophic on food supplies, the Netherlands has also said it is testing dead birds, but has said it is a matter of when, not if it comes to the Netherlands.



This is a frightening development, after years of success fighting foot and mouth and BSE, britain is once again facing crisis. More obviously needs to be done to combat this virus, only 2 yrs ago it was confined to Vietnam, now here we are with 3 continents having confirmed cases, is it really only a matter of time till it mutates, and are we ready for it?

Related News Links:
today. reuters.com
www.washingtonpost.com
www.guardian.co.uk

[edit on 17-2-2006 by la2]

[edit on 17-2-2006 by la2]

I'm starting a sweepstake at work on what date it arrives here in the UK.

On a more somber note, my little one likes to feed the local swans and geese by hand, this is going to have to stop now as it just isnt worth the risk. I don't like buying into the hype, but, is it worth the risk to ignore it?

It is only direct contact that is the problem. Throwing some bread or seed to the swans isn't a major problem, but no doubt someone will advise against it.

About the mutation possibility. It has already made two minor mutations i believe.

From the new scientist website

www.newscientist.com...

THE bird flu virus spreading through Turkey could be accumulating mutations that are helping it adapt to humans. But fears of an imminent pandemic may be premature, as the virus is showing none of the mutations' feared effects.

Samples of the H5N1 virus that killed Turkish teenagers Fatma and Mehmet Ali Kocyigit early this month have now been sequenced at the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Some of Mehmet's virus had a mutation in a surface protein called haemagglutinin, which makes it better at binding to cells in the human respiratory tract as well as to cells in birds.

While this is worrying, it is not clear whether that mutation alone is enough to make the virus any better at spreading among humans than before. "We'll know it means something if we see it in a cluster of human cases," says Michael Perdue of the World Health Organization. A cluster could mean the mutation is being selected for by being transmitted from human to human.

Mehmet's virus also carried a mutation in the polymerase gene that has been shown to make it more lethal to mice. But if anything the cases in Turkey have been milder than those elsewhere.

What now seems undeniable is that wild birds spread H5N1 from central Asia to Turkey. The virus taken from the teenagers is most closely related to a distinctive strain that was found in wild geese and ducks at Qinghai Lake in China in the spring of 2005 and has since crossed Russia and circled the Black Sea.

[edit on 18-2-2006 by ImaginaryReality1984]

She actually feeds them from her hand, as in holding it out flat and they peck at her to get the bread. Pretty close contact

If one has a snotty nose or sneezes, then is there a risk?

Sorry i thought you meant she just cast it onto the ground. Close contact like that probably isn't the best idea although it is still going to be hard to catch it that way.

So far i don't believe bird flu has been able to infect by inhalation but i wouldn't want to risk it as one of the two mutations i heard of means that it can better adhere to the lining of human lungs (read the above article). But it is good practice, even without the bird flu threat to stay away from ill animals. Beside bird flu they can hold all sorts of nasty illnesses.

Well, I'm beginning to find this somewhat frightening. The worst part being we can really do nothing but sit and watch the disease spread slowly westward.

--Kit.

le sigh,
thats me and my best friend not feeding the geese anymore...i dont know how to break it to her

oh well, ill be over here in the UK within a matter of weeks

I like many people have been keeping an eye on the virus as it spreads ever closer to the U.K, but perhaps closer than most.

The reason being that i work in the poulty industry and am in extreamly close contact with birds every day of the week, should the flock i work with become infected i will not know untill its too late.

Although i don't believe the general public should be too concerned about the latest developments, i would say it is important for them to be aware or the risks about getting too close to a dead bird they find for example.
What people need to realise is that having avian flu in britian is not a major risk to public health because a pandemic can start anywhere in teh world. Thats when we know were in trouble.

Thats right, i live in Holland, and there are also cases or today 28 new cases of avian flu in Germany, eastern Germany, so i guess its also here, but it has to be found first. Matter of days. I hope all government will do there utter best!!

I am from India, and my state has recorded its first cases of Bird Flu!!
And I have viral Fever!! Coinicidence I hope!

Bird Flu in India

I like to look on the bright side : the public will panic and poultry prices will collapse. which then means I can buy my dinner nice and cheap from my local Morrisons