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Avian Influenza Breaking News

Bird Flu Information and News 2008

 

Latest Bird Flu World News: June 29 - July 5, 2008

UC San Diego Researchers Identify Potential New Drug Candidates To Combat "Bird Flu."
SAN DIEGO, California - As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or “bird flu” lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies.Now, a team of UC San Diego scientists--with the help of resources at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), also at UC San Diego--have isolated more than two dozen promising and novel compounds from which new “designer drugs” might be developed to combat this disease. In some cases, the compounds appeared to be equal or stronger inhibitors than currently available anti-flu remedies.

Hong Kong Live Chicken Industry Faces Cull In Bird Flu Clampdown.
HONG KONG, China - The familiar clucking of chickens returned to Hong Kong's markets on Wednesday after a three-week ban, but bird flu fears may soon consign the local preference for freshly-killed meat to history. Last month's outbreak of the deadly H5N1 virus has prompted the government to take measures to phase out the slaughtering of chickens in wet markets, a move that has presented a bleak future for the city's butchers. A compensation package has been offered by the city's government for traders, farmers and other workers involved in the poultry industry to surrender their business licences. The package was formulated during the three-week ban on the sale of live poultry since June 11, imposed following the discovery of H5N1 in chickens at four wet markets. The government put further pressure on the traders by introducing a ban on keeping live chickens overnight, insisting that any left unsold by 8:00 p.m. would have to be killed. A report in the South China Morning Post said only a fifth of the city's chicken stalls would reopen on Wednesday as a result of the new measures, many waiting to see how they would cost them.

South Korea Lifts All Restrictions Imposed In Wake Of Bird Flu Outbreaks.
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea said Monday it has lifted all special restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of bird flu after a series of recent outbreaks. The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement it has slaughtered about 8.5 million birds to combat outbreaks of the disease that began in early April. However, the ministry said no new outbreak has been found since May 12, and that as of Sunday it has lifted all special quarantine measures, such as restrictions on the movement and sale of poultry. South Korea hopes to proclaim itself free of the disease in mid-August and report it to the World Organization for Animal Health, according to the ministry. Under the organization's regulations, a country can officially declare itself free of the disease if no new cases of bird flu have been found for three months. Bird flu hit South Korea in 2003 and 2006, resulting in the killing of millions of chickens, ducks and other poultry.

"A total of 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa have been affected by bird flu since 2003, of which 26 countries have experienced outbreaks in 2007. Except for a few outbreaks in wild birds, most of the confirmed outbreaks have been in domestic poultry, including chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks and quails." [Source: FAO, 2007]

Pandemic Flu: California State & Local Planning & Response Activities.
Information on California pandemic flu planning; state agriculture, health and wildlife contact information; federal funding assistance and links to pandemic website information.

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