Bangladesh : Poultry vaccination plan triggers shock

Via BD News 24 :

" The government's move to vaccinate poultry against frequently changing avian influenza virus has 'surprised' experts because globally it is recommended not to use it for public health's sake.

Experts say the available vaccines in the world have been able to reduce poultry fatalities for some time, but the vaccinated birds' capabilities to transmit the disease 'silently' after being infected caused 'massive' human mortalities.

Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam had been vaccinating poultries but stopped after an influx of human fatalities last year followed when the virus also changed its strain.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas on Sunday told journalists that considering poultry farmers' 'long-standing demand' the government planned to 'experimentally' introduce the vaccine.

He said a committee had been formed to finalise the decision to that end.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) experts say they are 'surprised' by the move.

Mat Yamage, Chief Technical Adviser to the FAO Avian Influenza Control Programme, told bdnews24.com that earlier they 'warned' the government against using vaccines.

He said the situation where the vaccine once used was 'serious' and that 'there is no record of successfully controlling H5N1 with vaccines'.

"We would strongly say it should be discussed with technical experts."

Globally, it is recommended that poultry farms maintain bio-security to prevent the virus and government have measures for early reporting, rapid action, culling and surveillance to control avian influenza outbreaks."

Bangladesh Reports HPAI Outbreaks Across Various Regions

Via The Poultry Site :

" The Bangladeshi veterinary authorities have reported a total of ten highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks across various commercial poultry farms in Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong and Rajshahi.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received Follow-up Report No. 38 on Monday, 19 March.

A total of 49245 birds were found susceptible to the outbreak, out of which 2886 cases were reported. The 2886 affected birds were reported dead. 46359 birds were destroyed.

Although the source of the outbreaks remain inconclusive, the situation has been resolved."

Bangladesh : Bird flu hits Dhaka city markets

Via Pakistan Observer :

" Bird flu has hit six poultry markets in the capital. In the last 15 days, three workers from one of the markets came down with the flu; however, they have recovered.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) made the detections.The affected markets are among the 16 poultry markets that are under constant surveillance by the two research organisations, IEDCR sources say.

In the wake of the latest developments, the Department of Livestock Services at a meeting on Wednesday decided to form 10 committees to monitor all poultry markets in the capital.The committees will be comprised of livestock officials and personnel from the health ministry, police and Bangladesh Ansar."

Avian influenza – situation in Bangladesh – update

From WHO :

" The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh has confirmed two new cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in the country. These are the 5th and 6th cases reported in the country since 2008.‬‪

These two cases, 26 year-old and 18 year-old males, presented with history of cough, and both have recovered. They were identified in the same live bird market surveillance site in Dhaka City as the fourth case recently reported, and were confirmed by the National Influenza Centre (NIC) of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) in Bangladesh.‬‪

Epidemiological investigation and follow-up is being conducted by National Rapid Response teams of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).‬‪"

Avian influenza – situation in Bangladesh

From WHO :

" The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh has confirmed the fourth case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza in the country.

The case is a 40 year-old male from Dhaka City, who was identified as part of the live bird market surveillance system on 26 February 2012. The case presented with cough and currently has recovered.

The case was confirmed by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B).

An epidemiological investigation and monitoring of the situation is currently being conducted jointly by IEDCR and ICDDR,B.

The first case of human infection with H5N1 was reported in the country in 2008, and two cases were reported in 2011."

Bangladesh : 22,000 bird flu affected fowls culled in Manikganj

Via The Daily Star :

" District administration and livestock officials culled 21,885 bird flue affected parent stock of fowl and 6,227 eggs of Green Valley Agro Complex at Andharmanik in the town on Tuesday night.

"After I informed the district livestock officials on Monday, they visited the firm on Tuesday morning and took samples of parent stock to the Field Diseases Investigation Lab (FDIL) in Manikganj for examination," said Dr Raja Pramanik, deputy general manager of the agro complex.

As FDIL officials found bird flue germ in the parent stock, Director (Health and Administration) of Livestock Directorate Dr Mosaddek Hossain asked the local administration and district livestock office to cull the bird flue affected parent stock and eggs, said District Livestock Officer (DLO) Dr Mrinal Kumar Nath.

Dr Mosaddek also directed banning all activities of the firm for the next three months, Dr Mrinal said."

Bangladesh : Concern over deaths from incurable fruit bat disease

Via IRIN News :

" An outbreak of the Nipah virus in northern Bangladesh has killed 30 people since the start of 2011, prompting national health warnings against the fatal pathogen spread by fruit bats. Everyone who got infected, died.

“Only by stopping the consumption of the raw sap, can this disease be stopped. Despite our many attempts at raising awareness, people are ignoring the warnings and as a result, are getting infected,” warned Health Minister A.F.M. Ruhal Haque.

Palm tree sap, often served fresh, is a popular drink in rural areas.

Six people from the northern Joypurhat District have died thus far in 2012 and 24 during the same period in 2011.

“In the last two years, the mortality rate has been 100 percent. Once the disease sets in, nothing much can be done,” Mahmudur Rahman, director of the non-governmental Dhaka-based Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told IRIN.

Named after the Malaysian village where the disease cross-over from pigs to humans was first discovered, Nipah virus (NiV) was diagnosed in people in 1998 in Malaysia and Singapore, then 2001 in Bangladesh.

Since then there have been 10 outbreaks in Bangladesh, killing 157 of 208 infected persons, according to IEDCR."

Bangladesh : Nipah worry stings govt

Via ProMed Mail, excerpt :

" As the government grapples to control the highly infectious and fatal Nipah virus, health minister AFM Ruhal Haque has said that people do not want to accept health messages by breaking away from tradition.

Experts say a simple practice of not drinking raw date sap, or juice, can prevent the virus from infecting. "(But) people do not care to abide by the message. We spread messages every year, but they (people) don't accept. It (drinking raw sap) is an age-old custom in rural Bangladesh," AFM Ruhal Haque said on Tuesday at the Secretariat while briefing the media about the Nipah outbreak situation in the northern district of Joypurhat.

All 6 infected people died in Joypurhat in this year's 1st outbreak of the disease last month [January 2012]."

Bangladesh : Nipah? Avoid date with raw date sap

Via BDNews 24 :

" As nipah strikes back, with at least five deaths reported so far in Joypurhat district in northern Bangladesh, prospects of fresh outbreaks of this fruit bat-borne viral infection looms large, according to health department officials.

While experts say a simple measure — not drinking raw date juice — can prevent the virus from infecting, government records show it has killed 155 of 201 infected, spreading from one district to another, since 2001, when the virus first struck as an 'unknown' ailment.

"It is totally preventable if we avoid drinking raw date sap," said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), which oversees emerging and re-emerging diseases in Bangladesh.

"But once infected, we don't have a cure -- it's highly fatal. This year the fatality has been 100 percent so far," he said.

A highly contagious disease, Prof Rahman said the virus can pass from person to person by contact.

ONLY COUNTRY WITH NIPAH

Nipah was first detected in Malaysia in 1998 but at present Bangladesh, a hotspot for emerging diseases, is the only country in the world that reports the disease.

Nipah has become a cause of concern for the health authorities since it strikes every year during Jan to April.

Though it is believed that border districts of India have the virus, reports are not available from the Indian government to confirm it.

This year, while IEDCR is grappling to check the spread in Joypurhat district's Sadarpara and Khetlal upazillas, where five persons died in this month's outbreak, the district civil surgeon says new suspects of infection are emerging from the area.

"We received at least five suspected infections (in hospitals)," civil surgeon Mozammal Haque told bdnews24.com on Thursday."

Bangladesh : Nipah virus attack confirmed

Article via BD News 24 :

" The virus that killed five people at Jaipurhat in the last four days has been identified as Nipah.

The Institute of Epidemiology Diseases Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed on its website on Tuesday that the five had indeed died from Nipah. A team from the institute are now working in the affected area.

The IECDR said human infections took place in Joypurhat municiplatiy and Khetlal Upazila.

Of the five deaths, two are from Khetlal and the others from the municipality. They died in Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogra and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

On Jan 21, a five-member IECDR expert team went to Bogra and Rajshahi to collect blood and other samples.

Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital said it had launched a separate unit for Nipah-infected patients."

Bangladesh : Three HPAI Outbreaks in Dhaka and Khulna

Via The Poultry Site :

" Dr Musaddique Hossain has reported three new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Dhaka and Khulna.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received follow-up report no. 37 on Sunday, 15 January. The outbreaks occurred in commercial poultry farms located in Dhaka and Khulna.

A total of 43,849 birds were found susceptible to the disease, out of which 3676 cases were reported. While all 3676 birds were found dead, the remaining 40,173 were destroyed.

The source of the outbreak has still not been determined."

Bangladesh : 658 farms in Khulna on bird flu alert

Via The Daily Star :

" Six hundred and fifty-eight poultry farms in nine upazilas of Khulna district and in the city have been asked to remain on high alert against outbreak of bird flu.

Khulna District Livestock Officer Dr Md Nizamuddin said he has asked all poultry farm owners on Wednesday to take precautionary measures against spread of bird flu.

At least 2,000 poultry birds infected with the disease had to be culled in last 12 days in Rupsha upazila of the district and Baniakhamar area of the city.

Apart from daily monitoring, we are holding regular meetings at the upazila level to create awareness among the farm owners and the people on how to take preventive measures against bird flu , he said."

Bangladesh : Four HPAI Outbreaks in Dhaka and Khulna

Via The Poultry Site :

" Dr Musaddique Hossain, Director (Animal Health & Administration), Department of Livestock Services, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Dhaka, has reported four new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Dhaka and Khulna.

The World Organisation for Animal Health received follow-up report no. 36 yesterday, 21 December. The causal agent has been identified as H5N1 virus and all four outbreaks took place at commercial poultry farms located in Dhaka and Khulna.

According to the report, a total of 14984 birds were found susceptible to the outbreaks, out of which 1257 cases were identified, indicating a 100 per cent apparent case fatality rate (meaning all 1257 affected birds were found dead). A total of 13727 birds were destroyed."

Bangladesh culls 14,000 birds, destroys 50,000 eggs after flu virus detection

Via Xinhua :

"  Bangladesh's authorities have culled nearly 14,000 chickens and destroyed about 50,000 eggs since this season's first outbreak of bird flu was detected last month, an official said Tuesday.

The government's bird flu control room official told Xinhua that "some 13,727 chickens were culled since its resurrection last month."

Fresh outbreak of bird flu was detected in Bangladesh in the second week of November with arrival of winter season.

Ataur Rahman, assistant director at the control room of Fisheries and Live Stock Department, said some 12,762 chickens were culled in two commercial farms in central Manikganj and western Rajbarbi districts.

He said some 965 birds, including 400 at the latest on Monday, were culled in two flu-hit farms so far this month. "A total of 44, 756 eggs were also destroyed since the first outbreak in mid November," he added."

Bird flu detected on Bangladesh farm

Via New Kerala :

" Over 11,000 poultry birds were culled and 43,000 eggs destroyed after the bird flu virus was detected at a poultry farm in Bangladesh.

The culling operations began in the Rajbari farm near Dhaka Monday night and continued Tuesday, the Daily Star reported.

The farm owner noticed the death of several poultry and reported the incident to the district livestock officer. The owner later sent some chickens to a laboratory in Dhaka for tests.

The laboratory confirmed the detection of bird flu Monday. The same day, a team was deployed at the affected farm to carry out preventive measures."

Bangladesh : 2190 fowls, 30,000 eggs culled

Article via The Daily Star :

" Around 2190 fowls and 30,000 eggs infected with avian influenza commonly known as bird flu were culled at the Rafid Poultry and Hatchery in Chuadanga on Saturday and yesterday.

District livestock department in presence of the local administration culled the fowls soon after the infection was confirmed through relevant tests in Dhaka.

Jahangir Alam, manager of the poultry firm, said the fowls started to die on August 10 and they got panicked when around 10,000 fowls died on August 13."

Bangladesh : Dengue cases rise in Dhaka

Via Gulf Times :

" Dengue, an infectious tropical viral fever, is alarmingly increasing in the capital city Dhaka, with the highest peak of 647 cases reported up to August 23 this year since 2007, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

Updating the dengue cases from 2007-2011, the IEDCR said 183 dengue cases was recorded in August 2007 while 473 cases were registered in July 2008, 188 cases in September 2009 and 183 cases in August 2010.

IEDCR director Prof Mahmudur Rahman informed yesterday that as the capital city has recently experienced frequent intermediary rains that caused increase of dengue cases in the city during August.

The steady rainfall can help wash out the sources of dengue but the intermediary rains increase the Aedes mosquito.

Prof Rahman said after August 2008, dengue cases in capital Dhaka were found increasing. Mass awareness is essential in this situation to keep areas around houses clean.

Meanwhile, a Bangladesh-born immunologist has claimed that he has developed the most effective tool for early diagnosis of dengue infection that results in high fever from mosquito bites in tropical countries."

Bangladesh : 473 dengue cases detected in Dhaka

Via Gulf Times :

" Dengue, an infectious tropical viral fever, is increasing alarmingly in Dhaka city with the highest number of 473 cases reported till August 11 this year, according to an expert.

The government authorities have, however, emphasised on creating mass awareness about the dengue fever and motivating the city dwellers to take part in the drive to eliminate the breeding grounds of Aedes mosquito around their homes.

“The information of dengue cases received from the control room of the office of the director general (DG) indicates that the present trend is going up,” Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) told newsmen yesterday.

He said as the city has recently experienced frequent rains, it is one of the causes of increasing dengue cases during July-August. The steady rainfall can help wash out the sources of dengue but the intermediary rains increase the breeding by Aedes mosquitoes, he said."

Bangladesh : 3 more anthrax infected in Sirajganj

Via BDNews 24, anthrax cases are being reported in Bangladesh :

" Three more people have been found infected with anthrax at Shahjadpur Upazila, increasing the list of infected in Pabna district to 49 in the last eight days.

Sirajganj civil surgeon Dr Nazimuddin Khan told bdnews24.com that two people were found anthrax positive at Bara Maharajpur village and one more at Chakharipur village under Porjana union council of Shahjadpur Upazila on Friday.

He said that the patients were given necessary treatment. "A medical team is working in each of the affected areas. The patients are being given treatment free of cost."

Meanwhile, high-level investigation team of the livestock ministry led by livestock department director general Mohammad Ashraf Ali visited two severely affected villages of the district – Saratail in Shahjadpur and Satbila in Ullapara upazilas on Friday.

The remaining members of the team are Dr Mat Yamage (Chief Technical Advisor Avian Influenza Control Program, FAO-UN), director of livestock department (admin) Mohammad Modassek Ali and director (extension) Partharati Sarker, deputy-director Dr Ranjit Chakrabarti.

They collected the sample of blood of 13 cattle of the area."

Bangladesh : Three New Bird Flu Outbreaks in Dhaka

Article from The Poultry Site :

" BANGLADESH : Three new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported of Dhaka farms.

The veterinary authority sent Follow Up report No. 33 dated 12 May to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The report describes three new outbreaks of HPAI, all on commercial farms in the Dhaka area. The outbreaks started between 23 April and 8 May. In total, 11,270 birds were involved, 3,184 of which died and 8,086 have been destroyed.

The presence of the H5N1 sub-type of the HPAI virus has been confirmed."