Wednesday, November 11, 2009

South Korea: LPAI Detected

 

 

# 3989

 

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Chuncheon, Gangwon Province

 


We’ve very little information right now, other than this report from the Chosun Ilbo.    It doesn’t even tell us what strain of avian influenza virus was detected, only that it was low path.


Assuming that it is an H5 or an H7 virus, the OIE should receive notification in the next couple of days.

 

 

Fresh Bird Flu Outbreak Worries Health Officials

The resurgence of bird flu in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province is causing concerns to health authorities as the H1N1 flu scare continues. A low pathogenic bird-flu virus was found in excrement of migratory birds in a reservoir in Chuncheon.

 

Despite the low infectiousness, health authorities claim they cannot rule out danger to humans or mutation and pledged to stay alert.

 

The worst-case scenario is that patients infected with the H1N1 virus could additionally contract bird flu, leading to a mutation that gives rise to a new supervirus. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that a new form of virus will be formed when the bird flu virus appears amid the spread of H1N1 virus," a health official said. "But if that did actually happen, the situation we've seen so far would be a mere shadow of what lies ahead. That's why we have to take preventive measures."

 

Disease prevention headquarters on Tuesday said it will vaccinate some 40,000 fowl breeders from the third week of this month instead of December as originally planned.

 Nov. 11, 2009 11:43 KST