Sunday, October 19, 2008

Bird Flu Resurfaces In Bangladesh

 

 

# 2397

 

 

Location of Bangladesh

 

 

 

At its peak, 50 of Bangladesh's 64 districts were reporting the H5N1 virus this Spring.  Culling operations took place at more than 500 farms, resulting in the destruction of more than 1 million birds.

 

 

Neighboring India blamed Bangladesh for their own bird flu outbreaks, and a bitter war of words went on for months.

 

 

And in May, we learned of the first human case of H5N1 infection in Bangladesh, a toddler apparently who was apparently infected in January and recovered.   Confirmation came from a CDC lab check several months later.

 

 

Then, as often happens during the summer,  bird flu reports dwindled  . . . and then disappeared.   For the past four months, we've heard nothing.

 

 

With October comes cooler weather, which often heralds the start of new bird flu outbreaks.  

 

 

Although this outbreak apparently occurred a couple of weeks ago (some reports say late Sept), I can find no notification on the OIE website.   The last report from Bangladesh,  #7,  was submitted in June.

 

 

This report comes from the Straits Times.

 

 

 

 

Oct 19, 2008

Bangladesh finds more bird flu

 

DHAKA - BANGLADESH authorities said on Sunday they have detected fresh bird flu at a poultry farm four months after the deadly virus was last reported in the country.

 

Livestock department spokesman Salahuddin Khan said at least 300 birds were destroyed in a farm in the northern Naogaon district last week after the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected.

 

'We have already taken extra surveillance measures across the country,' he said. 'Farmers have been told to step up bio-security.'

 

Mr Khan said the outbreak was the first in four months, with the virus becoming dormant at the onset of the summer but now coming back ahead of the cold season.

 

(Continue. . .)