# 993
`Non-pathogenic' means `incapable of causing disease'. At least that's what most textbooks will tell you.
What it means in India is less certain.
Promed (a program of the International Society for Infectious Disease) is reporting the following, and requesting further information and clarification.
AVIAN INFLUENZA (131): INDIA (MANIPUR), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>Date: Tue 17 Jul 2007
Source: Kangla Online [abridged, edited]
<http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=38633&typeid=1>
The existence of a non-pathogenic strain of the virus causing bird flu has been confirmed in the state according to knowledgeable ources. Officials only said that no pathogenic strain of the virus as been detected yet but were [close-mouthed] about the presence of a non-pathogenic strain.
However, the arrival of officials of the Union Ministry of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry following the testing of some samples of blood of chickens that died in an unknown epidemic recently in and around Imphal at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal raised suspicion of something serious. [For Imphal, capital of the state of Manipur, northeast India, see map at
<http://www.indtravel.com/graphic20/indpoli1.gif>].
Surveillance of more blood samples of chickens have also intensified ever since and continued throughout the day today [Tue 17 Jul 2007].
Although the strain found in dead chickens in Imphal recently is not the pathogenic variety, knowledgeable sources said it only takes time for the virus to mutate to become pathogenic, hence the need for extreme precautions.
Surveillance and serum sample collection to test and confirm the geographical spread of the bird flu virus in the state has been intensified in Manipur, even as authorities here said that "there is no confirmed report of an outbreak of Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) in the state." They, however, were guarded about the detection of the non-pathogenic strain of the virus. The surveillance acquired
urgency following reports of deaths of chickens and other animals [presumably other poultry - Mod.JW] in various farms in the state.
In the previous week [also], serum samples collected from various places were sent to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal for detection of avian influenza. The samples were collected from places in the state where there were reports of deaths of chickens and other farm animals that could have been caused by avian virus, the source said.
The 1st sample was sent on 11 Jul 2007, while the 2nd sample was sent Monday [16 Jul 2007], and the results of both are yet to be received by the state authorities.
(Cont.)
So in review, we have chickens dying in India, a country that has proudly maintained they haven't had a bird flu outbreak in over a year. They are reportedly testing positive for an avian flu (strain unknown . . .or at least not divulged).
But hey, don't worry, it's non-pathogenic.
Unless there is some other cause of death, unrelated to the detected virus, then calling it non-pathogenic is disingenuous at best. Birds don't die from non-pathogenic diseases.
Obviously there is more to this story than we are being told. The little tidbit, indicating that chickens and other farm animals are dying, adds a bit of spice to this one. What ever they are dealing with in India, it obviously isn't non-pathogenic.
Hopefully we will get some straight answers soon.
