# 4636
A report this morning from Sohu.com (hat tip Treyfish on FluTrackers) that indicates that Tibet’s Naqu region has seen a new outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 among wild birds.
In recent years we haven’t often gotten reports of large wild bird die offs out of Asia, although they were fairly common four or five years ago.
How much of this lull is due to lower levels of the virus in wild birds (or perhaps growing subclinical - asymptomatic spread), and how much may be attributed to limited surveillance and reporting is hard to know.
According to the FAO, Naqu was the site of a significant die off of birds ( approx 2,300 of mixed species), including 300 Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) back in 2006.
This machine translation indicates that while 170 dead birds have been discovered, no new bird deaths have been reported since May 25th.
A reminder that, while H5N1 has disappeared from the headlines, it still exists in the wild. And as long as it does, it poses a potential threat.
Naqu double Lakes death bird flu virus detected in wild birds
Source: Ministry of Agriculture
6:22 p.m. on the June 9, 2010
Reporter learned from the Ministry of Agriculture Information Office, 3 June, the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory Naqu region from dead wild birds were detected in two-Lakes H5N1 subtype avian influenza virus.
Deaths of wild birds after receiving the report, the Ministry of Agriculture sent promptly rushed to the local working groups and expert groups to guide the Tibetan veterinary department and closely with the forestry sector to effectively implement control measures.
First, the death of wild birds in a timely manner harmless processing, strengthening environmental disinfection, good personal protection to prevent people and livestock drinking water contaminated dead birds, and livestock ban has nothing to do close to the place of death of wild birds; Second, to strengthen wild bird surveillance, increase the intensity of monitoring reports, the implementation of day reporting; Third, farmers and herdsmen to the publicity surrounding areas of bird flu prevention and control knowledge, to prevent staff infection.
The local alpine region, around the sparsely populated, no poultry. Currently the local farming livestock infection was not found.
Since mid-May, two-Lakes region appear Naqu bird deaths. As of May 25, a total of 170 wild birds found dead, of which Brown headed Gull 141, 27 Bar-headed Goose, Red-billed crow a mountain, Wigeon 1.Since May 25, no longer wild birds found dead.
(Editor: Ma Tao)
