# 1658
Two reports from Bangladesh today.
The first almost becoming routine, the announcement that another district of Bangladesh has detected the H5N1 bird flu virus.
Bird flu strikes another Bangladesh district
DHAKA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Bird flu has spread to another district in Bangladesh despite efforts by authorities to control it, officials said on Wednesday, bringing the number of affected districts to 41 out of 64.
Health workers culled nearly 1,100 fowl after tests confirmed some chickens had died from the avian influenza virus in western Meherpur, livestock officials said.
The H5N1 virus, first detected in Bangladesh in March last year, was quickly brought under control through aggressive measures, including culling. But it reappeared few months ago apparently because of lax follow-up monitoring, experts say.
So far no human infections have been reported in Bangladesh, a densely populated nation with millions of backyard poultry and thousands of chicken farms.
The second story (Hat tip Treyfish on Flutrackers) comes from the BSS, the national news agency of Bangladesh.
The headline calling the situation `Pre-pandemic' certainly sounds ominous, but the text of the article seems to depict this as more of a reassuring `It isn't a pandemic yet' rather than 'It's on the verge of becoming a pandemic'.
A subtle but important difference.
Nevertheless, officials are obviously concerned over the potential for human infections, and surveillance and testing in that nation are poor. They've recorded 140 outbreaks of bird flu in less than a year, but thus far, no human cases.
Working with the FAO (UN's Food and Agriculture Organization) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development), Bangladesh is setting up emergency communications strategies and dispensing donated PPE's (Personal Protective Gear).
Govt terms avian influenza situation `pre-pandemic': US to provide 24,500 more PPE
DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb 13 (BSS) - Bangladesh government at a high-level meeting today termed the bird flu situation as `pre-pandemic' and sought support from development partners to contain the disease that already affected 41 districts since February last year.
"Bangladesh is in the pre-pandemic condition now as 140 outbreaks of bird flu have occurred during last one year," Dr Mehedi Hussain of Department of Livestock said on a power point presentation at a meeting here.
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock organised the meeting to review the ongoing prevention and control measures of bird flu, which has forced authorities to cull 581,286 chickens, ducks, pigeons and destroy as many eggs during last 12 months in the country.
Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Livestock Manik Lal Samaddar, Livestock Secretary Ataur Rahman, Mission Director of US Agency for International Development (USAID) Denise Rollins, Food and Agriculture Representative of the UN to Bangladesh AD Spijkers, Country Representative of World Health Organization Duangvade Sangkhobol and representatives from the UNICEF, Asian Development Bank and European Commission were present.
"You are not alone, We are with you," assured FAO representative Ad Spijkers at the meeting, adding that the present communication strategy was inadequate to make people aware and protect the poultry sector. He said the communication programme should be revised and revitalized.
He also said a concerted effort is a must to keep the situation under full control, without giving any chance to turn it into a pandemic situation, where H5N1 virus can transmit from human to human.
USAID Mission Director Rollins said her government and the US Army have already sent 16,500 personal protection equipment (PPE) to Bangladesh and 24,500 more would reach by March.
"I can assure that 4,500 PPE will reach by February 22 and the rest 20,000 by March," she said, adding that a core team on communication should be formed so that it can help develop emergency communication strategies to face future risks.
(Cont.)
