Likely H5N1 Near Karachi
Recombinomics Commentary 09:11
February 1, 2008
The Sindh government’s Director Poultry, Dr Ali Akbar Soomro, said that some more samples would be taken from birds belonging to private farms in Gadap on Friday. “It is understood that some virus had crept into the farms in Gadap Town. But its strength (H5, H7 or H9) is yet to be known,” he added. In the case of the farm in question, he said, he had information that 4,000 of a total of 6,000 birds had died due to the unnamed disease, while chances of culling of the remaining birds at the farm also existed, provided the reference lab for avian influenza conveys a positive report.
The above comments indicate bird flu has been detected on the index farm near Karachi, Pakistan, (see satellite maps here and here). and the serotype will likely be H5N1. Most of the birds on the farm have died, and birds at a neighboring farm are also dying at an accelerating rate.
Indirect supporting data includes the delays in test results, which were initially scheduled for Thursday, and then extended for several days, indicating further characterization of the detected avian influenza.
Moreover, neighbors have complained about the farm “leaking” the news to the press, and farm workers have symptoms, although reports deny detection of influenza in the workers.
H5N1 has been confirmed in humans and poultry in northern Pakistan. There was sustained human to human transmission, which originated with culling operations. Excessive poultry deaths are being reported across India, in addition to the massive outbreak in West Bengal.
More detail on the testing of birds and humans would be useful.
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