# 2714
A bit of an unusual warning from Thailand's Public Health Ministry, urging people to avoid contact with wild birds, and water they may have contaminated.
First the article, then a short discussion.
A hat tip to History Lover on the Flu Wiki for posting this item.
This from The Nation.
Stay away from wild-bird habitats
By The Nation
Published on January 28, 2009
Consuming water from natural reservoirs or swimming in areas inhabited by wild birds can increase the risk of contracting avian influenza, the Public Health Ministry said in a warning yesterday.
"Don't panic but be aware that water from such sources might be contaminated by the H5N1 virus," advised the Health Ministry's deputy permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit, adding that the strain can thrive in water for 17 days.
The warning came after a resident in Suphan Buri's Muang district filed a complaint with local media that more than 10,000 Lesser Whistling Ducks had taken over the natural reservoir in Tambon Paikwang and that the villagers were afraid these birds would give them bird flu. This is the first time that Lesser Whistling Ducks have migrated to this reservoir.
"Don't let the water splash on your eyes or mouth," Paijit warned, adding that people should also beware of pigeons or doves and let them eat from their hand.
Department of Disease Control director, Dr ML Somchai Chakrabhand, said people in and around Bangkok were complaining about an influx of doves and pigeons. He warned that there is a risk of contracting infections from pigeon droppings, which develop fungus in humid weather. He also advised that people with diabetes, allergies, high-blood pressure and kidney disease should stay away from doves.
I don't think anyone has a good handle on how likely it would be to contract the H5N1 virus from bodies of water contaminated by wild birds. We do know the virus can remain viable for days - sometimes weeks - in cold water, and so it seems at least possible.
The World Health Organization's Fact Sheet on Avian Influenza has this to say about the danger. (Reparagraphed for easier reading)
All evidence to date indicates that close contact with dead or sick birds is the principal source of human infection with the H5N1 virus. Especially risky behaviours identified include the slaughtering, defeathering, butchering and preparation for consumption of infected birds.
Swimming in water bodies where the carcasses of dead infected birds have been discarded or which may have been contaminated by faeces from infected ducks or other birds might be another source of exposure.
In some cases, investigations have been unable to identify a plausible exposure source, suggesting that some as yet unknown environmental factor, involving contamination with the virus, may be implicated in a small number of cases.
Some explanations that have been put forward include a possible role of peri-domestic birds, such as pigeons, or the use of untreated bird faeces as fertilizer.
This fact sheet is dated February 2006, and could use updating. Since then, there has been pretty strong evidence of limited H2H (Human-to-human) transmission of the virus.
Furthermore, in the ECDC guidelines on H5N1 in Bathing and Potable Water, issued in 2006, we get this:
So, this warning - while unusual - isn't without precedent.
