FAOAIDEnews Situation Update 80 Animal Influenza Disease Emergency 7 September 2011

HPAI outbreaks reported in this publication refer to officially confirmed cases only. The information is compiled from the following sources: World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), national governments and their ministries, and the European Commission (EC) – these sources are responsible for any errors or omissions.

Bird Flu Rears its Head Again: Increased Preparedness and

Surveillance Urged Against Variant Strain

On 29 August 2011, FAO urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) amid signs that a new variant of H5N1 virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health.

The H5N1 virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared in 2003, killing 331 of them, according to the latest WHO figures available. The latest death occurred last month in Cambodia, which has registered eight cases of human infection this year — all of them fatal.

Since 2003 H5N1 has killed or forced the culling of more than 400 million domestic poultry and caused an estimated $20 billion of economic damage across the globe before it was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006.

However, the virus remained endemic in five nations, although the number of outbreaks in domestic poultry and wild bird populations shrank steadily from an annual peak of 4,000 to just 302 in mid 2008. But outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases recorded between 2010 and 2011.

Virus spread in both poultry and wild birds

At the same time, 2008 marked the beginning of renewed geographic expansion of the H5N1 virus both in poultry and wild birds. The advance appears to be associated with migratory bird movements or other possible mechanism of virus dissemination (trade, contaminated materials), according to FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth. He said migrations help the virus travel over long distances, so that H5N1 has in the past 24 months shown up in poultry or wild birds in countries that had been virus-free for several years. "Wild birds may introduce the virus, but it is peoples' actions in poultry production and marketing that spread it," Lubroth noted.

Contents

Bird Flu Rears Its Head Again ...... 1-2 Science Against AI in Viet Nam Financed by Donors ...... 2-3 At a Glance ...... 5 Summary of confirmed HPAI outbreaks ...... 7-8

AIDEnews is an FAO ECTAD publication

Editor: Sigfrido Burgos, ECTAD Communications Unit ([email protected])

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 1 Recently affected areas are to be found in Israel and the Palestinian Territories (2011), Bulgaria (2010), Romania (2010), Nepal (2010) and Mongolia (2011).

A further cause for concern, Lubroth said, is the appearance in China and Viet Nam of a variant virus apparently able to sidestep the defences provided by existing vaccines.

In Viet Nam, which suspended its springtime poultry vaccination campaign this year, most of the northern and central parts of the country -- where H5N1 is endemic -- have been invaded by this new virus strain.

High alert

Viet Nam's veterinary services are on high alert and reportedly considering a novel, targeted vaccination campaign this fall. Virus circulation in Viet Nam may pose a direct threat to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia as well as endangering the Korean peninsula and Japan further afield. Wild bird migration can also spread the virus to other continents.

"The general departure from the progressive decline observed in 2004-2008 could mean that there will be a flare-up of H5N1 this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their backyard," Lubroth said.

The countries where H5N1 is still firmly entrenched – Bangladesh, China, Egypt, and Viet Nam — are likely to face the biggest problems but no country can consider itself safe, he said.

"Preparedness and surveillance remain essential," Lubroth underlined. "This is no time for complacency. No one can let their guard down with H5N1."

The Science Against Avian Influenza in Viet Nam is Sponsored by Donors

Between 2003 and 2011, a total of 63 countries and territories throughout the world have reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza A subtype H5N1 (H5N1 HPAI) in domestic poultry and/or wild birds. These countries and territories can be clustered into four geographical locations: Africa (12), Asia (18), Europe (26), and Near East (7).

Also, from 2003 to 2011, the cumulative number of confirmed human cases of H5N1 HPAI reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) is 565; of these 331 have died. The majority of human cases occurred in four countries: Egypt, Indonesia, People’s Republic of China, and Viet Nam.

While it is true that H5N1 HPAI may have escaped the frightening newspaper headlines of the last few years, it is far too early to turn the page on avian influenza.

Currently, scientists in Viet Nam have their heads busy and hands full figuring out how to beat back a vaccine-resistant strain of virus currently killing chickens and ducks in scattered pockets in the northern part of the country.

This scientific endeavour requires economic and physical resources as well as technical expertise, and assistance is being provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 2

To give some dimension of the problem H5N1 HPAI represents to variegated poultry producers in Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese Department of Animal Health has said that, over the past eight years, authorities have had to cull 63 million poultry in 40 of the country’s 63 provinces.

But this is only the impact on animals. With regards to humans, of the 119 cases of H5N1 HPAI reported in Viet Nam since 2003, 59 have been fatal. Most of Viet Nam’s infections over the past eight years have come during recurrent waves of outbreaks around Tet festivities, the annual Lunar New Year celebrations in January or February when millions of people, chickens, ducks, and geese are on the move, often closely together, making it much easier for viruses to spread.

Authorities at the Vietnamese Department of Animal Health believe that with continued donor support the country can maintain its position and gain positive results, setting its priorities on research and other activities for influenza control in the country.

This is particularly relevant at this juncture given that experts at the National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis (NCVD) detected a newly classified clade “2.3.2.1”, which is a specific virus strain still characterized as highly pathogenic and one of ten virus groups detected in Viet Nam over the years.

Many of the experts and scientists studying and monitoring viral clades and the movement of viruses in Viet Nam are virologists at the NCVD and in eight regional laboratories. Since 2006, they have received funding and technical support from USAID and other various projects.

The determination that vaccines currently used in the country were ineffective against some viruses of the 2.3.2.1 strain has moved Viet Nam to postpone new vaccinations until an effective vaccine can be developed.

In response, USAID is working with international reference laboratories to find an effective vaccine that can then be tested by the NCVD.

USAID and FAO are also currently wrapping up a large-scale, two-year operational research project at the provincial level to identify best practices and policy guidance on a safe, effective, and sustainable poultry vaccination strategy to limit the spread of H5N1.

For its part, FAO is always open to work with donors to assist member states.

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 3 MOST RECENT H5N1 AI OUTBREAKS 2006-2011 Note: This list has been compiled on the basis of information up to 31 August 2011.

2011 August Bangladesh, Egypt, Viet Nam July Cambodia June Indonesia May Korea (Republic of) April Israel (Jordan Valley), Mongolia March China (Hong Kong SAR), India, Japan, Myanmar February West Bank

2010 October Nepal June Russian Federation May China April Lao PDR March Bhutan, Bulgaria, Romania

2009 March Germany

2008 November Thailand September Togo July Nigeria June Pakistan May United Kingdom March Turkey February Switzerland, Ukraine January Saudi Arabia

2007 December Benin, Iran, Poland October Afghanistan August France July Czech Republic June Ghana, Malaysia April Kuwait January Côte d'Ivoire, Hungary

2006 August Sudan July Spain June Niger May Burkina Faso, Denmark April Djibouti, Sweden March Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Croatia, Greece, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Slovenia February Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Iraq, Italy, Slovakia

Green: areas which never had reported outbreaks in poultry

Sources: World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), European Commission (EC), FAO and national

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 4

AT A GLANCE The latest HPAI outbreaks for the period 1 July – 31 August 2011

Note AIDEnews publishes reports of confirmed HPAI cases using the following sources: OIE, European Commission, FAO and national governments.

AFRICA

Egypt

A total of 26 H5 HPAI positive cases were reported in nine governorates during July: Behera (1), Fayoum (4), Giza (4), Kafr-el-Sheikh (1), Qena (1), Qualioubia (3), Menoufia (7), Minya (1) and Sharqia (4) Governorates (number of outbreaks in brackets); and a total of seven H5 HPAI positive cases were reported in six governorates in August: Beni-Suef (1), Fayoum (1), Gharbia (1), Giza (1), Menoufia (2) and Sharqia (1) Governorates.

ASIA

Bangladesh

After a month without H5N1 HPAI outbreak reported in July; H5N1 HPAI outbreaks were reported again in commercial chicken farms in Chuadanga Sadar and Damurhuda , Chuadanga , Khulna Division and Badalgachhi , Naogaon District, Rajshahi Division. A total of 2,020 birds died and 23,345 were destroyed.

Cambodia

During July, outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI were reported in the Phnom Tamao zoo, Tro Pang Sap Commune, Bati District, Takeo Province in wild species; and in Doun Moul (Chok Rasmey) and Prek Samrong , Rohath Toek Commune, Mongkol Borei District, Banteay Meanchey Province in backyard poultry (ducks and chickens). Poultry die offs were also reported in Chork Reaksmey , Rohath Teuk , Mongkul Borei District, Banteay Meanchey Province; and Taing Thleung Village, Mepring Commune, Cheung Prey District, Kampong Cham Province through WHO in relation to the 17th and 18th human case of Influenza A (H5N1) infection in July and August respectively.

Indonesia

The Participatory Disease Surveillance and Response (PDSR) programme through 33 Local Disease Control Centres covers 71,815 villages in 86 percent of Indonesia’s 448 and municipalities in 29 of its 33 provinces. During June 2011, PDSR conducted surveillance in 1,769 villages (2.5 percent). The overall HPAI incidence was 1.0 infected village per 1 000 villages under surveillance. The highest HPAI incidence occurred in in Banten Province (7.1 per 1000), followed by Sulawesi Selatan (6.0 per 1000) and (4.6 per 1000). No village visits were undertaken in Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Utara and Nusa Tenggara Timur Provinces during this period.

Viet Nam

In July, H5N1 HPAI outbreaks reported in in Nghe An, Phu Tho and Quang Tri Provinces: in Nghe An five localities affected namely Quan Hanh Town and Nghi Loc District (Nghi Dien, Nghi Hoa, Nghi Thuan and Nghi Phuong Communes); as of 30 August, a total of 1,494 poultry affected (32 chickens and 1,462 ducks) of which 2,526 (32 chickens and 2,494 ducks) have died; in Phu Tho, four communes in Ha Hoa District were affected, a total of 1,454 out of 2,237 poultry (45-day-old

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 5 ducks and layer chickens) became sick or have died; in Quang Tri, 2,250 birds (40-day-old ducks) out of 5,000 in Hai Thien, Hai Lang District; and poultry in Gio Linh Town were affected. During August, H5N1 HPAI outbreaks reported in Quang Ngai, Quang Tri and Thai Binh Provinces: In Quang Ngai, 2,800 poultry (400 chickens and 2,400 ducks) in Tinh Phong Commune, Son Tinh District were affected of which 690 (170 chickens and 520 ducks) have died. In Quang Tri, outbreaks occurred in Hai Ba Hai Tan and Hai Lang Districts, 5,202 (5,003 ducks and 199 chickens) out of 5550 (5,300 ducks and 250 chickens) affected. In Thai Binh, outbreak reported in Dong Hoang Commune, Dong Hung District, 50 out of 208 poultry have died.

Evolution of virus clades in Viet Nam

Red: clade 2.3.4; Yellow: clade 2.3.2.1; Green: clade 1

In Viet Nam, during 2010-2011 a major change in circulating virus clades took place in the northern part of the country as compared to 2009-2010. The previously dominant clade 2.3.4 (red in the map) has been entirely replaced by clade 2.3.2.1 (yellow in the map). In southern Viet Nam clade 1 (green in the map) remains the predominant clade.

2009-10 2010-11

Source: (Department of Animal Health (DAH)/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FAO-Viet Nam)

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 6

SUMMARY OF CONFIRMED HPAI OUTBREAKS (As of 31 August 2011)

Sources: OIE, European Commission (EC), FAO and national governments – WHO for human cases/deaths. Note: H5N1 unless otherwise indicated. Highlighted countries indicate those in which there has been only one officially confirmed H5N1 outbreak or occurrence. Dates of the last outbreak within this year are in bold.

Animals affected Human AFRICA First outbreak Latest outbreak to date cases / deaths to date

Benin 7 November 2007 15 December 2007 Domestic poultry - Burkina Faso 1 March 2006 20 May 2006 Domestic poultry - wild birds - Cameroon 21 February 2006 28 March 2006 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Côte d'Ivoire 31 March 2006 31 January 2007 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Djibouti 6 April 2006 6 April 2006 Domestic poultry 1 / 0 Egypt 17 February 2006 15 August 2011 Domestic poultry – wild birds 151 / 52 – donkeys Ghana 14 April 2007 13 June 2007 Domestic poultry - Niger 6 February 2006 1 June 2006 Domestic poultry - Nigeria 16 January 2006 22 July 2008 Domestic poultry – wild birds 1 / 1 South Africa 1 February 2011 14 July 2011 (H5N2, Ostrich - PCR H5 positive) Sudan 25 March 2006 4 August 2006 Domestic poultry - Togo 6 June 2007 8 September 2008 Domestic poultry -

Animals affected Human ASIA First outbreak Latest outbreak to date cases / deaths to date

Afghanistan 2 March 2006 2 October 2007 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Bangladesh 5 February 2007 27 August 2011 Domestic poultry 3 / 0 Bhutan 18 February 2010 14 March 2010 Domestic poultry - Cambodia 12 January 2004 21 July 2011 Domestic poultry – wild birds 18 / 16 China 20 January 2004 9 May 2010 Domestic poultry – wild birds wild birds 40 / 26 China 19 January 2004 1 March 2011 Domestic poultry – Wild (Hong Kong SAR) birds India 27 January 2006 4 March 2011 Domestic poultry - Indonesia 2 February 2004 June 2011 Domestic poultry – pigs (with 178/ 146 no clinical signs) Japan 28 December 2003 16 March 2011 Domestic poultry – wild birds - – raccoons (no clinical signs) Kazakhstan 22 July 2005 10 March 2006 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Korea, Rep. of 10 December 2003 16May 2011 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Lao PDR 15 January 2004 27 April 2010 Domestic poultry 2 / 2 Malaysia 7 August 2004 2 June 2007 Domestic poultry – wild birds - Mongolia 10 August 2005 5 April 2011 Wild birds - Myanmar 8 March 2006 16 March 2011 Domestic poultry 1 / 0 Nepal 8 January 2009 25 October 2010 Domestic poultry - Pakistan 23 February 2006 17 June 2008 Domestic poultry – wild birds 3 / 1 Thailand 23 January 2004 10 November 2008 Domestic poultry – wild birds 25 / 17 – tiger Viet Nam 9 January 2004 30 August 2011 Domestic poultry 119/ 59

Animals affected Human NEAR EAST First outbreak Latest outbreak to date cases / deaths to date

Iran 2 February 2006 10 December 2007 Domestic poultry - wild birds - Iraq 18 January 2006 1 February 2006 Domestic poultry – wild birds 3 / 2 Israel 16 March 2006 6 April 2011 Domestic poultry – - (Jordan Valley) Emu (zoo) Jordan 23 March 2006 23 March 2006 Domestic poultry - Kuwait 23 February 2007 20 April 2007 Domestic poultry – wild birds - - zoo birds Saudi Arabia 12 March 2007 29 January 2008 Domestic poultry - West Bank & Gaza 21 March 2006 27 February 2011 Domestic poultry Strip -

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 7

Animals affected Human EUROPE First outbreak Latest outbreak to date cases / deaths to date

Albania 16 February 2006 9 March 2006 Domestic poultry - Austria 10 February 2006 22 March 2006 Wild birds – cats - Azerbaijan 2 February 2006 18 March 2006 Wild birds – domestic poultry 8 / 5 – dogs Bosnia-Herzegovina 16 February 2006 16 February 2006 Wild birds - Bulgaria 31 January 2006 29 March 2010 Wild birds - Croatia 21 October 2005 24 March 2006 Wild birds - Czech Republic 20 March 2006 11 July 2007 Wild birds – domestic poultry - Denmark 12 March 2006 22 May 2006 Wild birds – domestic poultry - France 17 February 2006 14 August 2007 Wild birds – domestic poultry - Georgia 23 February 2006 23 February 2006 Wild birds - Germany 8 February 2006 10 January 2009 Wild birds – domestic poultry - mallard, wild – cats – stone marten Greece 30 January 2006 27 March 2006 Wild birds - Hungary 4 February 2006 23 January 2007 Wild birds – domestic poultry - Italy 1 February 2006 19 February 2006 Wild birds - Poland 2 March 2006 22 December 2007 Wild birds – domestic poultry - Romania 7 October 2005 27 March 2010 Wild birds – domestic poultry - – cat Russian Federation 15 July 2005 5 June 2010 Domestic poultry – wild birds - wild birds Serbia 28 February 2006 16 March 2006 Wild birds – domestic poultry - Slovakia 17 February 2006 18 February 2006 Wild birds - Slovenia 9 February 2006 25 March 2006 Wild birds - Spain 7 July 2006 9 October 2009 (H7) Poultry - Sweden 28 February 2006 26 April 2006 Wild birds – domestic poultry - - game birds – mink Switzerland 26 February 2006 22 February 2008 Wild birds - Turkey 1 October 2005 9 March 2008 Domestic poultry – wild birds 12 / 4 Ukraine 2 December 2005 11 February 2008 Wild birds – domestic poultry - – zoo birds United Kingdom 30 March 2006 22 May 2008 (H7N7) Wild birds – domestic poultry -

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© FAO 2011

Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) 8