Suspected Bird Flu Claims 23 Thai Tigers

[george]

Suspected bird flu claims 23 Thai tigers

BANGKOK: -- Suspected avian influenza virus claimed 23 tigers in a private zoo in Thailand, officials said here Tuesday.

The authorities are conducting tests on meat samples of the dead tigers, which might have been infected by the virus after being fed raw chicken, Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang told reporters, according to Xinhua.

"The dean of Kasetsart University's Faculty of Veterinary informed me Monday afternoon that his vet team got some meat samples from the dead tigers to test for traces of bird flu infection," the deputy prime minister was quoted by official Thai News Agency as saying.

"The veterinarians suspect that the tigers might have been killed by the virus," he said.

Five tiger caretakers at the Sriracha Zoo in eastern Thailand have been sent to hospital for medical examination and results are awaited.

Among some 400 tigers kept by the private zoo, at least 30 have reportedly developed respiratory problems and some 23 animals have died since Thursday.

Earlier this year, a snow leopard was infected with and died of the poultry epidemic.

Having hit by two rounds of bird flu outbreaks, the kingdom has suffered great economic loss including from the culling of at least 30 million birds after the first outbreak. The compensation paid to farmers has mounted to $100 million.

The epidemic also claimed lives of 11 Thai nationals during the two outbreaks and the kingdom has been alerted over "probable human-to-human transmission".

Describing tackling the disease as the country's top priority, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra earlier set Oct 31 as the deadline to eradicate bird flu from Thailand.

The country is now undertaking a national campaign to switch open-field duck feeding to a closed system so as to eradicate the disease.

Ducks raised in open fields were a crucial source of the H5N1 strain of bird flu and it was feared the poultry epidemic would deteriorate in the coming cold season.

Ducks could carry the flu virus and were strong enough to remain alive and the virus could live in water sources for up to 30 days.

The next focus of the Thai government is backyard-reared fighting cocks and chickens.

In late September, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health jointly issued a statement, warning the disease will not be eradicated from the region in the near future and called for more investment to tackle the problem.

--Indo-Asian News Service 2004-10-19

[sriracha john]

Seems like Sriracha Tiger Zoo just can't avoid bad things from happening there.

[NedKelly]

The cynic or sceptic inside me warns that this could raise a few eyebrows in people with even a borderline IQ...........especially just after the zoo copped all the bad publicity for its trade in live tigers to China, which if true is very suspect.

[sriracha john]

The tiger death toll now stands at 70. Such an unfortunate end to Nature's most fabulous animal...

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041020/kyodo/d85r5b900.html

[bmw]

Thailand kills infected tigers to curb bird flu spread.

BANGKOK, Oct. 21 Some 30 tigers infected with bird flu virus were culled on Wednesday at a private zoo in eastern Thailand to curb further spread of the epidemic, local press reported on Thursday.

The 30 tigers have fallen sick of the H5N1 avian influenza virus at the Sri Racha Zoo, where the other 30 tigers died of the disease earlier this week.

"We are not going to treat them, since we consider them to be the source of the disease," the Disease Control Department director-general Thawat Suntharacharn was quoted by newspaper The Nation as saying.

The 30 sick tigers were given injection of potassium chloride to stop their hearts.

They would be later either cremated or buried in deep-dug pit.

Altogether 60 tigers at the private zoo have been culled or died of the disease since Oct. 14, when the first tiger died of infection.

The authorities are now closely monitoring animals at the zoo, which raises more than 400 tigers and several crocodiles, ostrichsand other animals. Animals falling sick of the disease will be allculled.

It's suspected that the tigers were infected by being fed with chicken carcass, and related investigation is being conducted.

Some 56 people taking care of the animals have also gone through medical check and were proved free of the virus.

Having hit by two rounds of bird flu outbreaks, the government has placed fighting the disease as the country's top priority and set Oct. 31 as the deadline to eradicate bird flu from the kingdom.

The poultry epidemic has caused great economic loss including at least 30 million birds culled in first outbreak and more than 100 million US dollars has been spent for compensation.

The epidemic also claimed lives of 11 Thais during the two outbreaks and the kingdom has been fully alerted over a "probable human-to-human transmission" case.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-10/...ent_2120507.htm

[stumonster]

Smuggled eagles had bird flu

From correspondents in Brussels

October 24, 2004

TWO Asian eagles hidden in the baggage of a Thai man at Brussels airport had been found to be infected with avian influenza, officials said today.

Experts said the risk to public health was negligible except for the Thai man himself, who was arrested on Monday when customs officers found the live eagles wrapped up in plastic tubes in his bags.

Belgium's Federal Agency for Food Chain Safety said tests had confirmed that the Mountain Hawk Eagles, which are native to Asia, were infected with the bird flu virus that has hit six Asian nations, killing at least 30 people.

The eagles had been destroyed, as had two parrots that were being kept at the same customs inspection centre, the Belga news agency said.

A consignment of birds had already left the centre before the bird flu was confirmed in the eagles. They were now at quarantine centres in the Netherlands and Russia, both of whose authorities had been notified, Belga said.

There was little risk to people or birds in Belgium given that the eagles never left the airport environs, except for customs officers and scientists who were being given preventive anti-viral treatment, officials said.

"The risk is above all great for the person who imported these birds illegally, because we don't know very well how he handled them," public health expert Rene Snacken said on RTL-TVI television.

Other passengers on the October 18 Bangkok-Brussels flight via Vienna were also at little risk as there was no reason they would have come into contact with the Thai man's bags, he said.

But they should seek medical help if they develop serious flu-like symptoms, he added.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...55E1702,00.html

[stumonster]

Plane passengers in bird flu scare

From correspondents in Brussels

October 25, 2004

EUROPEAN Union authorities launched an alert today to find airline passengers who travelled on flights with a Thai man who tried to smuggle two bird flu-infected eagles into Belgium.

The unidentified Thai man responded to public appeals to come forward overnight and was receiving preventive treatment in a hospital in the northern Belgian city of Antwerp, the Federal Institute of Public Health said.

The EU's executive arm launched its alert following confirmation yesterday that the two Mountain Hawk Eagles were infected with avian influenza, which has hit six Asian nations, killing at least 30 people in Thailand and Vietnam.

The European Commission said it had received a request from Belgian authorities "to assist them in their search for flight passengers of different nationalities who might have been exposed to the flu virus".

"Although the risk of transmission from the animals to humans is limited, it cannot be excluded since the birds travelled in the passenger cabin in hand luggage," it said.

The commission said it was anxious to prevent any introduction into Europe of the virus, which apart from the human fatalities has caused the natural deaths or culling of millions of poultry in Asia.

The Thai man was apprehended by customs officers at Brussels airport when the eagles were discovered in his bags last Monday, live and wrapped up in plastic tubing. But he was then released.

The European Commission said travellers on the man's flights should see their doctors if they started showing flu-like symptoms, including nausea, fever and colds.

The man flew on flight BR0061 of Taiwanese airline EVA from Bangkok to Vienna late on Sunday, arriving early on Monday, and then took Austrian Airlines flight OS351 to Brussels that morning.

"Although passengers' lists are available for the two flights concerned, address details of the passengers are not known," the commission said.

It added: "The birds never left the quarantine installations at Brussels airport and did not pose any threat to the European poultry flock."

Customs officers and scientists who came into contact with the birds of prey were being given anti-viral treatment as a precaution, local news reports said.

A veterinarian who examined the eagles has contracted a light case of conjunctivitis, but it was unclear whether his illness was linked to the birds, the Belga news agency said.

The eagles have been destroyed, as have two parrots that were being kept at the same quarantine centre.

[stumonster]

Girl dies from bird flu

From correspondents in Bangkok

October 25, 2004

A 14-year-old girl has been confirmed as being the 12th person in Thailand to die this year from bird flu, the country's health ministry said.

Test results confirmed that the girl from the northern province of Sukhotai, who died six days ago, had the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

"She was on the list of suspected cases after she died after being sick for 11 days," said Charal Trinvuthipong, the director of Thailand's bird flu centre. "The lab test result found she had H5N1."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...55E1702,00.html

How many other suspected cases do they have?

[Class C]

People (or even tigers) who have bird flu symptoms should try drinking colloid silver to kill the virus.

http://www.colloidal-silver.com/uses.htm

For info. colloid silver is tiny particles of silver suspended in water.

Whenever I have symptoms of a cold or flu I drink 1 glass of home made (I have a generator) colloid silver and then within about 5 to 10 minutes the virus is dead !

I HAVE NEVER HAD A COLD OR FLU SINCE TAKING COLLOID SILVER

People with bird flu should at least give it a try.

Other people say: "Well if it's so effective why don't we know about it"

a) It would put the doctors out of business

It would cause the price of silver to rise so phenomenally that it would defeat the US$

................... THAT'S WHY !

Kind regards,

Class C

[RDN]

People (or even tigers) who have bird flu symptoms should try drinking colloid silver to kill the virus.

http://www.colloidal-silver.com/uses.htm

For info. colloid silver is tiny particles of silver suspended in water.

Whenever I have symptoms of a cold or flu I drink 1 glass of home made (I have a generator) colloid silver and then within about 5 to 10 minutes the virus is dead !

I HAVE NEVER HAD A COLD OR FLU SINCE TAKING COLLOID SILVER

People with bird flu should at least give it a try.

Other people say: "Well if it's so effective why don't we know about it"

a) It would put the doctors out of business

It would cause the price of silver to rise so phenomenally that it would defeat the US$

................... THAT'S WHY !

Kind regards,

Class C

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Before you all rush out to your Colloidal Silver Generator salesman (I think there's one at the end of my soi), you'd better read other peoples' opinions:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelate...s/silverad.html

[sriracha john]

Before you all rush out to your Colloidal Silver Generator salesman (I think there's one at the end of my soi), you'd better read other peoples' opinions:

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelate...s/silverad.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you for that info, RDN.

I guess the real bottom line is as follows from that site:

In October 1996, the FDA proposed to ban the use of colloidal silver or silver salts in over-the-counter products. A Final Rule banning such use was issued on August 17, 1999 and became effective September 16th.

[sriracha john]

Now for some REAL news regarding bird flu:

Dateline: Tuesday October 26, 10:16 AM

BANGKOK (AFX) - Deputy health minister Suchai Charoenrattanakul said the government is no longer concerned over the spread of the bird flu virus in Thailand.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAY WHA??????? Oh sorry, bird flu is over with, right Suchai?

[Class C]

You can read any web page you like including these that I found in about 10 seconds :

http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jinouy01/silver/slv_micr.html

http://www.essense-of-life.com/info/tsilver_pt2.htm

.........but the truth remains, colloid silver works !

I can assure you this is a very interesting subject and you can learn nearly everything about it on the internet (not in 10 seconds though).

Kind regards,

Class C

P.S. Do you really think the FDA is straight ?

P.S. I have nothing to sell here, just some researched knowledge to share.

[Richard W]

Now for some REAL news regarding bird flu:

Dateline: Tuesday October 26, 10:16 AM

BANGKOK (AFX) - Deputy health minister Suchai Charoenrattanakul said the government is no longer concerned over the spread of the bird flu virus in Thailand.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAY WHA??????? Oh sorry, bird flu is over with, right Suchai?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe he means they no longer care about it!

[sriracha john]

Now for some REAL news regarding bird flu:

Dateline: Tuesday October 26, 10:16 AM

BANGKOK (AFX) - Deputy health minister Suchai Charoenrattanakul said the government is no longer concerned over the spread of the bird flu virus in Thailand.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAY WHA??????? Oh sorry, bird flu is over with, right Suchai?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe he means they no longer care about it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that's the likely real meaning. It's a shame really, but I understand with all the worldly attention shifting to the Southern massacre, the government can only focus on one disaster at a time.

.

[stumonster]

This is also an important issue in thailand.

WHO fears avian flu pandemic

From correspondents in Washington

November 01, 2004

A WORLD Health Organisation official has warned the world faces the risk of an avian flu pandemic and that authorities need to step up preparations to avoid a crisis.

"We believe that we are closer to the next pandemic than we ever were," said Klaus Stoehr, a senior official at the WHO.

The WHO wanted to mobilise governments, pharmaceutical companies and the science community to speed up production of anti-flu vaccines, he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in the US, he said the health body would hold a summit at its Geneva headquarters on November 11 to address the issue.

There were only 300 million doses of anti-flu shots in the world, Mr Stoehr said.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu had the potential of mutating and being transmitted between humans, he warned.

The avian flu that has hit poultry in Asia has affected 43 humans in Thailand and Vietnam since January, killing 31 of those people.

A flu pandemic killed more than 20 million people in 1918-1919, while other outbreaks occurred in 1957 and 1968