Bulletin on Avian Influenza in Cambodia FAO and WHO Representations in Cambodia

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1 Bulletin on Avian Influenza in Cambodia FAO and WHO Representations in Cambodia Update on the Avian Influenza Situation (as of 30 th of August 2005) Issue No. 17/2005 Normal influenza virus Impact of Bird Flu on Food Security in Cambodia Forum on 30 August 2005 in Phnom Penh The information summarized below is gathered from official and non official sources, which are quoted in the text. This bulletin is prepared by the Secretariat for Donor Coordination on AI in Cambodia, which is jointly chaired by FAO Representative and WHO Representative in Cambodia. I. Latest information on HPAI in Cambodia 1. Country situation: Animal Health In the past week NAHPIC received 3 chicken carcasses from Kampot province for testing. The chicken mortality had occurred among 120 backyards chickens in one household between 14 th and 23 rd of August Mortality was not acute and only few chickens had died everyday. The VAHW and the farmer culled all sick chickens in the farm and buried them conducting afterwards disinfection of the presumed breakout area. Investigation around the farm showed afterwards that no mortality had occurred in the neighboring houses. The VAHW reported to the district veterinarian who decided to send carcasses to the NAHPIC to ensure that this was not a bird flu outbreak. Results of IFAT analyses were negative. The response from VAHW and district veterinarian was again very good in this case. 2. Country situation: Human Health There have been no new calls to the hotline about suspected human H5N1 cases. Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh informed not analyzing any suspected AI samples last week. WHO and MoH organized a Pandemic Preparedness Planning Workshop for preparedness planning and for creating an AI contingency plan against a possible influenza pandemic. This meeting was held in Siem Rep on August. From the government side, MoH, (CDC) and MAFF (NAHPIC) attended this meeting and on the side of international organizations and NGOs, UNICEF, WHO, AusAid and USAid were the main participants. A summary of discussions, findings and conclusions will be presented in next AI Bulletin. 1

2 II. Routine activities in AI surveillance 1. On poultry side The following three main markets in Phnom Penh are still under surveillance: - Chbar Ampeov - O Russey - Central market 2. On human side All provinces health staff (including PHD and OD) have now been trained in surveillance for avian influenza, for the sample collection and the correct use of personal protective equipment. Training will commence soon for village health volunteers. Field visits to possible sentinel locations were conducted and an influenza-like illness surveillance system was being organized in these locations. The findings will be discussed at the Friday meeting of the Technical Working Group for Infection diseases. Public education is on-going. A 90 seconds TV spot has been produced and will be broadcasted. Dr. Ly Sovann and Dr. Megge Miller met with UNICEF earlier this week about getting assistance in the production of posters and pamphlets as well as creating communication materials in the event of a pandemic. III. Weekly Inter-Sectoral Technical Working Group (ITWG) Meeting The last weeks ITWG meeting on avian influenza was held on Thursday 25 August 2005 at FAO Representation. Holl Davun (NAHPIC), Chad Brobst (Medicam), G John Grundy (PATH), Anna Beloff and Yves Froehlich (FAO) attended this meeting. Several regular participants were absent because attending the workshop in Siem Reap. After updating animal health situation, the participants discussed about findings during VAHW evaluation especially regarding the spread of information. IV. Donor s support/on-going activities 1. Surveillance - In sentinel villages and ducks flocks - Market monitoring - Clinical surveillance in commercial farms This program is supported by project OSRO/CMB/402/AUL. 2. Training for VAHWs The second session of training will start on Monday 05 September This training will be organized in 7 districts with the assistance of district veterinarians. The program is established in compliance with the requests issued by VAHWs during past training assessment. During next training session VAHWs will receive the second part of their payment (USD 10). During the last week of September, three teams will visit villages for one week to interview villagers, chiefs of the villages etc. to assess if the information on bird flu spread by VAHWs is well understood at the household level. This program is supported by project OSRO/CMB/403/FRA 2

3 3. Inoculation/isolation unit Dr Arunee (Thai laboratory specialist) is not available in September so she will not be available to organize training in Cambodia before the end of October FAO is in touch with Dr. Lu (Laboratory specialist working in Penn State University, USA). Dr Lu was responsible in establishing the equipment list and virology unit organization during his assignment in November This procurement is funded under TCP/CMB/ International meetings Dr Sorn San (NAHPIC) will attend ASEAN HPAI meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia on 5-6 September This mission is funded under TCP/CMB/ Other Dr Sorn San (NAHPIC) presented Bird Flu; Its impact on Food Security in Cambodia in The Food Security Forum arranged in the Council of Ministers on 30 th of August. V. International issues 1. Vietnam The implementation of the bird-flu vaccination programme for poultry, which began its trial in northern Nam Dinh and southern Tien Giang provinces early this month, is behind schedule. In Nam Dinh province 3.1 million out of the total 4.3 million poultry has been vaccinated, fulfilling 72 percent of the plan. The last six communes in Nam Dinh are striving to complete their vaccination program. In Tien Giang province, where the work was started before Nam Dinh, floods are causing difficulties in implementation of the vaccinations. As a result, only 38 out of the 127 communes have completed the vaccination for poultry so far. The MARD (Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development) asked provinces and cities to map out their own plans before August 30 to ensure that 12 southern provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, and two northern provinces, would start vaccinating before September 10. The remaining localities start the programme in October. Bird flu has killed 3 rare civets born in captivity at a national park in Viet Nam, marking the 1st time that the virus has been reported with this species. The Owston civets died in late June 2005 at the Cuc Phuong National Park, about 120 km south of Hanoi. Samples sent to a laboratory in Hong Kong came back positive for the H5N1 virus. Also the other animals in the park have been tested; including chickens, rats and birds, but none of them have tested positive for the virus. Bird flu has previously been found in other mammals, such as cats and tigers. Cat-like civets are captured in the wild and served as a delicacy at restaurants in Viet Nam and China. Scientists suspect that SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which killed nearly 800 people worldwide in 2003, was passed to humans from civet cats. 2. Japan Japan has detected another bird flu case, in a poultry farm with chickens, by serological tests which indicated a past H5 infection. The Ogawa farm (GP Center of Aikeien Co. Ltd) is in Nakanobu district, Ogawamachi town, Higashi Ibaraki County, Ibaraki Prefecture. This farm is 5 km southeast of the Minori farm, where antibodies 3

4 against H5 had been detected on 22 Aug poultry farms had been previously put under movement restrictions in Japan. Following the current finding, restrictions have been applied within a 5 km area around the Ogawa farm. 3. Russia The bird flu virus has been found in a wild duck in another Siberian province. The governmental representative of the Altai Republic said that samples taken from the bird shot on 13 th of August indicated the presence of bird flu virus H5. Bird flu virus has so far been reported in seven Russian federal districts, including 45 regions (91 villages) since July The virus had been confirmed in the Altai territory, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Kurgan and Chelyabinsk regions and Kalmykia (Caspian region). Russia has culled birds to prevent the spread of the virus since July 21. Another birds have died of the virus. 4. Kazakhstan A bird flu outbreak in seven northern Kazakh villages have been declared and threatening the west of the country. The H5N1 strain has been confirmed in all seven villages where an outbreak was reported. The western region is now in the risk zone because (migratory) birds are starting to fly to the Caspian Sea and Urals-Caspian basin. 5. Finland A preliminary virological diagnosis of avian influenza in a seagull in the City of Oulu, Northern Finland, has been made by the Finnish veterinary authorities. They identified a strain of Influenza A virus. A slight increase in the findings of dead waterfowl has been observed in the Oulu area in past summer 2005 as compared to previous summer seasons. In careful risk assessment of the epidemiological and virological information currently available on the incident, the Finnish veterinary authorities have concluded that the influenza A finding is most likely of a low pathogenic type (LPAI). A new report identifies additional dead gulls in Rovaniemi, which is just north of Qulu, Finland. VI. General information: Migratory birds possible influence on avian flu spreading pattern The fear that the bird flu would spread via the migratory routes of wild birds to Europe, has made Holland to order all fowls to be transferred indoors (Bangkok Post ). During the same European experts meeting in Brussels, other EU-member countries were still divided weather to make such decision for time being. The biggest reaction from EU has so far been banning of imports of feathers and live birds (12.08) from Russia and Kazakhstan, the latest outbreak places. So far the Russian authorities have stated that the H5N1 haven t crossed the Ural Mountains into Europe. So far the virus has killed nearly 14,000 domestic and wild fowls including in Caspian region. In the concept of migratory bird species and the spreading of avian influenza, map showing the winter migration patterns for wintering birds in Russia is shown below: 4

5 1. Movements of winter migratory birds between SW Siberia and W Europe based on Wetlands International. For example for the whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) species (bearer of H5N1 in Mongolia): (1) Population which breeds in Iceland and winters mainly in Britain, Ireland and Iceland. (2) Population which breeds in Fennoscandia and northwest Russia (east to the Urals) and winters in northwest continental Europe. (3) Population which breeds in western Siberia and winters in the Black Sea and east Mediterranean. (4) Population which presumably breeds in western and central Siberia and winters in Southwest Asia from the Caspian Sea east to the region of Lake Balkash. The precise origins of the flocks wintering around the Black Sea and Caspian Sea are unknown, but it seems unlikely that they come from the same general breeding areas. (See Map 2.) Map 2. Example of migratory pattern of wintering wild goose species from Russia: whooper swan. 5

6 Concentrations of molting birds are formed near the breeding grounds from the end of July until early September, often in shallow coastal waters. The swans are flightless for a period of 5 6 weeks during the wing molt. They depart from the breeding grounds in mid- to late September in northern Russia and in mid-october in Scandinavia. Birds arrive on their winter quarters in northern Germany and Denmark in October and November. Departure from the winter quarters takes place between mid-march and early May, the birds arriving on the breeding grounds in mid- to late May back to Russia again. VII. Current assignments FAO 1. Y. Froehlich (Technical Adviser): extension of contract until 30 September WHO. 1. Dr Megge Miller: on-going assignment as Technical Adviser for bird flu projects. 6