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519 Bird Flu Deaths in Qinghai China
Recombinomics Commentary
May 23, 2005
> Location of the outbreak: Niannaisuoma village, Quanji town, Gangcha county, Qinqhai province (in the central part of the country). The place is an important rendezvous of migratory birds on one of their Asia-Europe routes.
Description of affected population: migratory birds found dead, including bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), great black-headed gull (Larus ichthyaetus), brown-headed gull (Larus brunnicephalus), ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) and great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).
Total number of birds found dead: 519. <<
Initial reports several weeks ago indicated 178 bar headed geese had died at the Qinghai Lake Nature Reserve in early May. The official report from China to the OIE estimates that the outbreak may have begun April 15 and the number of dead birds was 519, including at least 5 species.
The more extensive H5N1 outbreak may explain why 3 million doses of vaccine were rushed to the area. However, at least one of the species does winter in the northern plains of India which are about 1000 miles southwest of the reserve, which can be flown in one day by the bar headed goose.
China has recalled envoy from meeting in Japan with prime minister.
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