- Jeff - Banning live poultry imports is, at this stage
of the H5N1 game, not going to stop the spread of the virus. It is too
late now as H5N1 high path is in the world's wild bird/migratory bird populations.
This time, at this stage, the Genie is out of the proverbial bottle.
-
- Patty
-
- From Promed:
-
- According to the ProMED report: "Avian influenza
(171): Saudi Arabia, UK (England) 20071114.3701" of 14 Nov 2007,
Saudi Arabia has banned all live poultry imports since avian flu was detected
in March 2007.
-
- However, if the report by the Gulfnews article (copied
below) is confirmed, it appears that the imports of other live birds are
still allowed in Saudi Arabia and it highlights the substantial risk of
introducing HPAI through the wild bird trade. - Cristiana Senni
-
- From Gulfnews.com
-
- By Emmanuelle Landais
-
- 12-14-7
-
- Last week, tests were carried out at the Central Veterinary
Research Laboratory in Dubai on a[n imported] wild saker falcon (Falco
cherrug) from Saudi Arabia, reported Wildlife Middle East News. The Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 was diagnosed in the falcon and it died
shortly after being admitted to a falcon hospital in Riyadh. No post-mortem
examinations or diagnostic tests [apart from the lab tests in Dubai, I
suppose. - Mod.JW] were carried out to establish the cause of death. The
falcon showed non-specific signs, including low appetite, regurgitation
and passing of green-coloured liquids. According to the report the diagnosis
included high white cell count.
-
- Samples have been sent to the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute
in Germany for further virus identification studies. The falcon was part
of a large group of wild-caught sakers imported into the kingdom from Central
Asia. According to reports, a large proportion of these falcons died showing
similar symptoms.
-
- Bird flu was initially detected at a poultry farm in
Saudi Arabia and 50 000 birds were culled, the Agriculture Ministry announced
on 14 Nov 2007. Tests were carried out after 1500 birds died in a farm
in Al Kharj region, 150km [93.2 miles] south of Riyadh.
-
- No human case has been found and an investigation was
taking place to determine the origin of the illness.
-
- In April [2007], Kuwait culled 1.7 million birds after
the strain was found but there were no reports of human cases [see ProMED
efs. (57) & (74) below.]
-
- Avian influenza emerged in 2003 and has caused some 205
deaths in humans.
-
-
- http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/11/24/10169919.htm
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- Communicated by
-
- Cristiana Senni
- World Parrot Trust
- http://www.parrots.org
-
- Saudi Arabia sent the OIE 3 official reports on HPAI
during 2007. The 1st one on 31 Mar 2007, notifying the disease in ostriches
kept on a private rest house. The 2nd report, submitted 7 May 2007, was
a "follow-up report" on the ostrich (regarded by the Saudi authorities
as not being "poultry") outbreak. A 3rd report -- an immediate
notification abouy 4 outbreaks in poultry farms -- was submitted 19 Nov
2007. It was published in a ProMED-mail post, which included the following
Mod PC's query: "As always, the question remaining unanswered is:
where did this new outbreak come from? There really is no clue in this
report or others so far".
-
- The above information on cases in imported falcons, for
which we are grateful to Cristiana Senni, may provide an answer to Mod
PC's query; confirmation or otherwise by the authorities is anticipated.
If confirmed, these falcon cases should be officially reported. - Mod.AS
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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