H5N1 has arrived
I just received the following email from the U.S.
Embassy in India...
U.S. Embassy New
Delhi
February 19, 2006
On February 18, 2006, the Government of India announced that the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in domestic poultry in Nawapur, Nandurbar district, Maharashtra. Media have reported the death of 40,000-75,000 birds in this region of northern Maharashtra in the last ten days. Maharashtra government authorities have sealed Nawapur and ordered the culling of nearly 800,000 birds within a 3-km radius. Poultry in an additional 52 farms will be vaccinated. Health authorities have admitted eight poultry workers with symptoms of cold and cough. Health authorities have sent specimens from these, and a poultry farm owner from Nawapur who died recently, for diagnosis to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The results of the tests will be available in 2-3 days.
An alert also has been sounded in the state of Gujarat, which is adjoining the state of Maharashtra. A milder variety of the avian flu identified as H9 has been detected in Gujarat, with 37 cases testing positive after 1,269 birds were examined in zoos, sanctuaries, wetlands, and poultry farms across the state.
American citizens are advised to avoid those areas identified by the state of Maharashtra as being affected by avian influenza.
This is not exactly a surprise since the newspaper this morning reported, in perhaps more veiled terms, the discovery in Maharashtra. For those who don't know their Indian geography, the map below might help a bit. We're in Kerala, the state boxed in pink. Maharashtra and Gujarat are roughly the area boxed in green. The closest we'll get would be if we go to Mumbai (in Maharashtra) or Ahmedabad (in Gujarat). We may travel to these places, but currently have no plans. Of course, by the time we leave India in late May or early June, there's no telling where the disease may spread.
A month or two ago when H5N1 caused some human deaths in Turkey, it was obvious that the migration patters of birds were resulting in the westward spread of the disease. I somehow convinced myself that India, which runs on a North-South axis and is far separated by the Himalayas from major East-West migratory bird routes, would escape the avian flu. But I conveniently ignored the fact that bird also migrate on the North-South axis. There were some beautiful shore birds that we saw on the pond here at Aswathy Garden when we arrived that are no longer around. I suppose they've continued their migration. The most common resident birds are pigeons and crows.
I'm really not concerned for our health since (a) there as yet are no confirmed cases of human transmission in India, and (b) we are not coming into close contact with potentially infected birds (the way a rural farmer with chickens roaming around, and in, the house might). It's safe, of course, to eat chicken as long as it has been cooked sufficiently. But the chicken we've gotten here, which is not pumped up with hormones, has been so gnarly that we haven't been eating any chicken, or other poultry for that matter.
February 19, 2006
On February 18, 2006, the Government of India announced that the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in domestic poultry in Nawapur, Nandurbar district, Maharashtra. Media have reported the death of 40,000-75,000 birds in this region of northern Maharashtra in the last ten days. Maharashtra government authorities have sealed Nawapur and ordered the culling of nearly 800,000 birds within a 3-km radius. Poultry in an additional 52 farms will be vaccinated. Health authorities have admitted eight poultry workers with symptoms of cold and cough. Health authorities have sent specimens from these, and a poultry farm owner from Nawapur who died recently, for diagnosis to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The results of the tests will be available in 2-3 days.
An alert also has been sounded in the state of Gujarat, which is adjoining the state of Maharashtra. A milder variety of the avian flu identified as H9 has been detected in Gujarat, with 37 cases testing positive after 1,269 birds were examined in zoos, sanctuaries, wetlands, and poultry farms across the state.
American citizens are advised to avoid those areas identified by the state of Maharashtra as being affected by avian influenza.
This is not exactly a surprise since the newspaper this morning reported, in perhaps more veiled terms, the discovery in Maharashtra. For those who don't know their Indian geography, the map below might help a bit. We're in Kerala, the state boxed in pink. Maharashtra and Gujarat are roughly the area boxed in green. The closest we'll get would be if we go to Mumbai (in Maharashtra) or Ahmedabad (in Gujarat). We may travel to these places, but currently have no plans. Of course, by the time we leave India in late May or early June, there's no telling where the disease may spread.
A month or two ago when H5N1 caused some human deaths in Turkey, it was obvious that the migration patters of birds were resulting in the westward spread of the disease. I somehow convinced myself that India, which runs on a North-South axis and is far separated by the Himalayas from major East-West migratory bird routes, would escape the avian flu. But I conveniently ignored the fact that bird also migrate on the North-South axis. There were some beautiful shore birds that we saw on the pond here at Aswathy Garden when we arrived that are no longer around. I suppose they've continued their migration. The most common resident birds are pigeons and crows.
I'm really not concerned for our health since (a) there as yet are no confirmed cases of human transmission in India, and (b) we are not coming into close contact with potentially infected birds (the way a rural farmer with chickens roaming around, and in, the house might). It's safe, of course, to eat chicken as long as it has been cooked sufficiently. But the chicken we've gotten here, which is not pumped up with hormones, has been so gnarly that we haven't been eating any chicken, or other poultry for that matter.
Posted: Sun - February 19, 2006 at 07:06 AM
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