Pregnant Vietnamese Woman dies of Bird-Flu in a “Bird-Flu-Free Province”.

After repeatedly declaring many of its provinces free of Bird-flu, the Government of Vietnam has been forced to admit that H5N1 had been found in some of the Bird-Flu-free provinces.

A Country or a province in a Country is declared bird flu-free after it goes 21 consecutive days without a new case, according to the ministry.
Last [...]

Deadly Bird-Flu H5N1 Strain returns to France.

On Sunday night, the dreaded Bird-Flu Virus appeared in France again.

Two swans were found dead Sunday night not far from the location where three swans were killed by the H5N1 virus earlier this month.
The swans were found in a lake at Diane Capelle, in the Moselle region, 9 kilometres from where three swans died of bird flu [...]

“USA looking for the Bird-Flu in the wrong place” – Smithsonian Scientist

A top research scientist with the Smithsonian Institution, has suggested that there are huge gaps in the American defences, against the spread of the deadly avian flu virus in the USA.  
The potential for spreading avian flu is 15 times higher among poultry flocks than among wild birds, according to data presented by Peter Marra, a research [...]

The strange death of Bird-Flu rapid response team member.

We have previously addressed in this blog, the “Cull” of the poultry being carried out within the quarantine zone set up by the Manipur State Government around the farm in Chingmeirong in Imphal East, where the recent outbreak was discovered.
As reported, there have been many arrests made of the poultry farmers within the zone who [...]

Bird-Flu “Cull” in India, destroys Livelihoods.

The virus recently detected in Manipur, North East India, is one of the most worrisome H5N1 strains, which can in rare cases, infect and kill humans, usually those who spend a lot of time around infected birds.
It is understandable therefore, that the State Government has ordered a strict quarantine zone around the infected area.
The authorities have [...]

“Bird-Flu Panic in India” is not just another Headline Hype.

The Bird-Flu outbreak in the North East state of Manipur is creating havoc with the lives of the residents of the state as the Government launches emergency measures to fight the H5N1 Virus.

Following are a few news reports of the effects that the Bird-Flu outbreak is having in many parts of the country.

In Manipur, the [...]

Prices of Chickens and Eggs Crash as Bird-Flu arrives in India.

The outbreak of the H5N1 virus in the extreme North East of India, at the India-Myanmar border, seems to have had an immediate effect on the psyche of the entire country.

 Even though the capital Delhi is over a thousand Kilometres away from the infected area, a day after the government confirmed the outbreak of bird flu, [...]

India Confirms Bird-Flu, Central Government Control Room, to Fight the Virus.

No one is really surprised at the current Bird-Flu outbreak in India.
The surprise is in the fact, that with the neighbouring countries of Buma, Bangladesh and China all afflicted with repeated outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, it took so long for the Bird-Flu to manifest itself in the worlds second most populace country.
                                                                                     The Govenment [...]

Pig Disease kills People and Bird-Flu kills Ducks, In Bird-Flu-Free Vietnam!

It was only last week that Vietnam was busy declaring its provinces ”Bird-Flu-Free”.
The criterion for this Bird-Flu-Free status was the completely illogical “no infection in any 21 consecutive days” rule.

How did this rule come about?
Who was responsible for this ruling?
Does the World Health Organisation agree with this totally mad criterion?
If not then why is there a deafening silence [...]

Bird-Flu infects another Egyptian Woman!

Naima Abdu Gamil of the Nile Delta province of Damietta, in northern Egypt, a 25-year-old woman, has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, according to Egypt’s state news agency MENA. 
This brings the number of human cases in the most populous Arab country up to 38.                                                                                  
                                                                         
Confirming the above, John Jabbour of the World Health [...]

India Prepares for the Bird-Flu as the Lab Results are delayed.

Konsam Gopal of the State Veterinary Department in Imphal can not say as to why the expected test results for the tissue samples from the dead poultry have not arrived in Imphal.

The eagerly awaited test results of the sera samples from the dead birds, including nasal fluid and cloacal samples which were sent to a [...]

Bird-Flu Risk from Stray Cats.

H5N1 virus has been found in cats in Europe as well as in Indonesia.
This means that there is yet another reservoir for the H5N1 virus, where it can have a chance to develop and mutate in its own time.
In January of this year, Chairul Anwar Nidom of Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia, took blood samples from 500 stray [...]

Bird-Flu Factory-Farm Silver, for Olympic Swimming Legend, Sharron Davies

Bird-Flu Factory Farm Silver, for Olympic Swimming Legend, Sharron Davies
Since the Bird-Flu virus was discovered at one of Bernard Matthews’ turkey farms in Suffolk, England, in the beginning of this year, the ‘bootiful’ Bernard has been accused of a variety of sins.
 He was lambasted for keeping birds in horrible overcrowded conditions and for producing cheap meat [...]

India Awaits Bird-Flu Test Results.

The Himalayan region of the north east of India, right next to Tibet, Myanmar and Bangladesh, is the most densely forested, hard to access part of the subcontinent.
It is also teeming with thousands of different kinds of Birds and other animals, all potential carriers of the H5N1 virus.
This part of the Himalayas is also slap bang in the middle of [...]

Bird-Flu back again, in Bird-Flu-Free Vietnam!!!

The Government of Vietnam has been declaring parts of the country Bird-Flu-Free, using a criterion which is deceptive and misleading at best.
Under this totally illogical criterion, any country or a province of a country, is “recognized as officially bird flu-free” if no new cases of the H5N1 virus have been discovered in any 21 consecutive days.

As previously mentioned [...]

The Bird-Flu – Is it the Coming Pandemic, or just a lot of Hype?

I realise that the Bird-Flu virus/pandemic is a mouth watering subject for any one, as a potential global conspiracy.
The said conspiracy could originate from various Governments, commercial interests- including of course The Donald Rumsfeld connection:) and all kind of other evil sources.
On the other hand the the threat from the virus could well be real.
I have been keeping an eye of the [...]

Thai Ministry of Public Health denies Death by Bird-Flu!

There is good news on the Bird-Flu front. At least I think it is good news.
According to a news item today in The Nation, one of the largest Thai News Papers, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health now says that Wichian Boonraksa the 41-year-old man from the northern province of Phichit died of severe pneumonia, not avian influenza as earlier suspected.The [...]

Bird-Flu death in Thailand?

Bird-Flu death in Thailand?
A  man from Phichit, in the lower Northern Region of Thailand man who lived has reportedly died of “Bird-Flu like” symptoms.
The provincial public-health chief, Dr Prajak Wattanakul said that the man had fever, cough, exhaustion and pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital on Friday.  
“Test results will be available in one or two days after which [...]

Indonesian Bird-Flu victim – It was the Chicken that done it!

The mystery of the last Indonesian victim of the Bird-Flu seems to have been solved.
According to an Indonesian health ministry official, the child who died of bird flu last weekend, appears to have caught the virus from dead or sick chickens in the area carrying the disease.
Medical experts had initially struggled to pinpoint the source [...]

The Bird-Flu leadership Summit?

There was this Bird-Flu leadership Summit, recently held in America, headed by lots of Industry and Government big shots.
Of course it was by and for only the folks in the good old USA, because as you know, there is nothing of importance out side of here.
Accept that the Bird-Flu virus IS out side of the USA [...]

Houseflies can bring you the Bird-Flu!

Of all the Gods creatures on Earth, the houseflies are not only the most annoying, but also, seem to serve no useful purpose as to their existence.
Accept that is, as a test for the patience of Mankind.
In my uncharitable moods, I have thought darkly about the possibility of looking for some kind of a way [...]

Of Bird-Flu, Pigs, Cats, Dogs, Shrews, and Tigers.

Crawford Kilian’s H5N1 Croftsblogs and the Effect Measure are two of my favourite sounding boards, for all matters regarding the Bird-Flu virus.
Refreshingly, almost all of the posts as well as the comments of the visitors to these two sites are well thought out and reasonable and even though the boffins on the Effect Measure do have their [...]

Mystery of the latest Indonesian Bird-Flu Victim!

The saving grace for the Bird-Flu virus, if there is one, has been that up to now it has passed only from infected poultry, to a fairly limited number of humans.
The reason for this is that the crossing over of the species barrier for the H5N1 virus in its current form, from birds to humans has been not easy.
However, H5N1 like all [...]

Bird-Flu inflicted Vietnam has got to be kidding us all!

Vietnam is “havin a laugh” as the Brits would put it!
One of the facts about the current Bird-Flu outbreaks in an increasing number of countries is so weird and dangerous, that if it were to be explained to the average man on the street, it would not be believed!
As per World Health Organisation approved rules, a [...]

Dutch Dogs sniff out Bird-Flu at the Airport

The Dutch ministry of finance, which controls the customs service, said in a statement that special sniffer dogs are checking flights from countries where the bird flu virus has been found such as China, Thailand, Egypt, Russia and Turkey,
They are trained to sniff out all kinds of poultry — alive or dead –, feathers and [...]

The Brits Ban French Pigeon Racing. Tour de France will still go on though!

The Brits Ban French Pigeon Racing. Tour de France will still go on though!
International pigeon racing from continental Europe to Britain has been banned after H5N1 was discovered in wild birds in France, Chief Veterinary Officer Debby Reynolds from the Environment Agency said. Domestic racing will be allowed to continue, she said.But racing from continental mainland Europe, including [...]

Dutch Poultry ordered indoors as bird flu spreads

Dutch commercial poultry keepers have been ordered to keep their birds indoors,
after a dangerous strain of bird flu was found in three dead swans in northern France.
Birds have also died of the H5N1 variant in the Czech Republic and Germany.
‘There is no reason to panic but it is worrying that more cases have been found,’
 said [...]